Lots of people write reviews about products they're using, so how does a person decide which ones to read? I can't speak for everyone, but when I read a review I like to hear about the things people don't like and the things people like.
When I wrote my blog post about Lee filters and my dislike of the Lee holder, people got mad. I'm looking for someone who is not afraid to speak honestly about the product they use, rather than just telling everyone what the company wants to hear. Something that bothers them may not bother me, but it's nice to see the world as it is so that I'm not disappointed and pissed off later. When I read word vomit about how awesome a product is, it appears to me as if the author has been bought off by that company to write something positive about the item. Whether or not it's true, that author loses credibility in my book.
For example, I recently read a review about the Canon TS 24 ii lens that was basically a regurgitation of the specifications and information posted on the Canon site. I won't say who it was, but because of that I no longer read that person's blog or reviews, unfortunately. I read a lot of reviews and posts on Google Plus about how awesome the F Stop backpacks are. What do people not like about them? It's not honest to say that they are perfect in every way, and in all honesty I don't trust products that people don't talk openly about their flaws.
So what was the point in my writing this? Well.... the CANON 5D MARK III is now here, and dang it I want to read a REAL REVIEW about one soon seeing as how I'm not the type of person who tries out gear before I read what others have to say about it.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
March 2012 Sky Calendar for San Diego, CA
| MARCH 2012 | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| | | | | 1 Sunrise: 0616 Sunset: 1746 Moonrise: 1125 Moonset: 0105 | 2 Sunrise: 0615 Sunset: 1746 Moonrise: 1218 Moonset: 0154 | 3 Sunrise: 0614 Sunset: 1747 Moonrise: 1316 Moonset: 0241 |
| 4 Sunrise: 0613 Sunset: 1748 Moonrise:1417 Moonset: 0325 | 5 Sunrise: 0612 Sunset: 1749 Mooonr: 1520 Moonset: 0406 | 6 Sunrise: 0610 Sunset: 1749 Moonr: 1625 Moonset: 0444 | 7 Sunrise: 0609 Sunset: 1750 Moonr: 1731 Moonset: 0521 | 8 Full Moon Sunrise: 0608 Sunset: 1751 Moonr: 1839 Moonset: 0558 | 9 Sunrise: 0607 Sunset: 1752 Moonr: 1948 Moonset: 0636 | 10 Sunrise: 0605 Sunset: 1753 Moonr:2057 Moonset: 0716 |
| 11 DST Sunrise: 0704 Sunset: 1853 Moonrise: 2356 Moonset: 0859 | 12 Sunrise: 0703 Sunset: 1854 Moonrise: none Moonset: 0947 | 13 Sunrise: 0702 Sunset: 1855 Moonrise: 0012 Moonset: 1040 | 14 Sunrise: 0700 Sunset: 1856 Moonrise: 0115 Moonset: 1137 | 15 Sunrise: 0659 Sunset: 1856 Moonrise: 0212 Moonset: 1238 | 16 Sunrise: 0658 Sunset: 1857 Moonrise:0302 Moonset: 1340 | 17 Sunrise: 0656 Sunset: 1858 Moonrise: 0346 Moonset: 1441 |
| 18 Sunrise: 0655 Sunset: 1858 Moonrise: 0425 Moonset: 1541 | 19 Sunrise: 0654 Sunset: 1859 Moonr: 0500 Moonset: 1639 | 20 Sunrise: 0652 Sunset: 1900 Moonrise: 0533 Moonset: 1736 | 21 Sunrise: 0651 Sunset: 1901 Moonrise: 0603 Moonset: 1832 | 22 New Moon Sunrise: 0650 Sunset: 1901 Moonrise: 0634 Moonset: 1927 | 23 Sunrise: 0648 Sunset: 1902 Moonrise: 0705 Moonset: 2022 | 24 Sunrise: 0647 Sunset: 1903 Moonrise: 0738 Moonset: 2117 |
| 25 Sunrise: 0646 Sunset: 1903 Moonrise: 0813 Moonset: 2211 | 26 Sunrise: 0645 Sunset: 1904 Moonr: 0851 Moonset: 2304 | 27 Sunrise: 0643 Sunset: 1905 Moonrise: 0933 Moonset: 2356 | 28 Sunrise: 0642 Sunset: 1906 Moonrise: 1019 Moonset: none | 29 Sunrise: 0641 Sunset: 1906 Moonrise: 1109 Moonset: 0046 | 30 Sunrise: 0639 Sunset: 1907 Moonrise: 1204 Moonset: 0133 | 31 Sunrise: 0638 Sunset: 1908 Moonrise: 1301 Moonset: 0217 |
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Why Google 2-Step Authorization Should Be Improved
Google has a safety feature on its accounts that is optional. You can sign up for it to keep people from stealing your account - and for many of us, that means they steal our identity as well. When you log on from a computer you haven't used before it asks you for a pin number in addition to your password. You get the pin number when it is texted to your phone. When I was in Egypt, I got locked out of my account because.... I didn't think about the logistics of this before I left. IE my cell phone did not work overseas so I couldn't get into my account.
Recently, this has happened to another photographer I know who was studying in Australia and then went home. So now his Australian number does not work, and he is locked out of his account. I was lucky enough to come back to the USA whereas, unfortunately Danny is not returning to Australia so he cannot simply just wait to get his account back.
If you have 2-step notification enabled, make sure you:
1) Actually print out the back-up codes Google gives you. Those will save you if you are overseas and can't get the text message from your phone. You can get to them by going to your account settings and clicking on "download backup codes." It may ask you for your password.
2) Find out the dates that you started using all the Google products you use. It is probably the FIRST email you have in your box if you use Gmail (unless you delete them) or the FIRST in your Google Voice inbox.... etc. If you become locked out, they will ask you for the specific DAY. If you're off by a few days... no access.
3) Maybe set a backup number that belongs to your spouse / friend / mother so that if you lose access and none of the rest works.... you can still get your pin code from them. DON'T SET YOUR BACKUP NUMBER AS A GOOGLE VOICE NUMBER. If you're locked out of your account that includes your GVoice number. So if you can't get it on your cell phone (which your voice number is linked to) and you can't see the text message on the GVoice site, it does you absolutely no good to do it that way.
You could always go into your account settings before you leave and disable the feature, but if you enabled it in the first place, it was for a reason, right? That said, I personally think Google could probably have a better way of doing this service - maybe security questions that we can make up (I guarantee nobody would guess the name of my first stuffed animal and steal my identity.) HOWEVER I am not a Google Geek nor really a geek in general so there may be a very good reason why Google decided to use text messages / voice call instead of the way every financial institution seems to do it. The answer would probably contain a whole bunch of computer-y words that make my head hurt. If there is a reason why we NEED to have something we know and something we have in order to be secure, then maybe we could print out a big grid of codes - say 100 boxes with one code in each box. The computer could ask you for the code in box AA5 and then you count 27 over from the left and 5 down and that's the code you put in! That would keep people from having to rely on a phone if they are overseas.
If you are moving overseas..... just deactivate the security feature until you finish moving. Honestly it's a lot easier. Hopefully nobody will hack your account during that time. Make sure you only log on when necessary, as you will probably be on unsecured networks. Just be careful!
Recently, this has happened to another photographer I know who was studying in Australia and then went home. So now his Australian number does not work, and he is locked out of his account. I was lucky enough to come back to the USA whereas, unfortunately Danny is not returning to Australia so he cannot simply just wait to get his account back.
If you have 2-step notification enabled, make sure you:
1) Actually print out the back-up codes Google gives you. Those will save you if you are overseas and can't get the text message from your phone. You can get to them by going to your account settings and clicking on "download backup codes." It may ask you for your password.
2) Find out the dates that you started using all the Google products you use. It is probably the FIRST email you have in your box if you use Gmail (unless you delete them) or the FIRST in your Google Voice inbox.... etc. If you become locked out, they will ask you for the specific DAY. If you're off by a few days... no access.
3) Maybe set a backup number that belongs to your spouse / friend / mother so that if you lose access and none of the rest works.... you can still get your pin code from them. DON'T SET YOUR BACKUP NUMBER AS A GOOGLE VOICE NUMBER. If you're locked out of your account that includes your GVoice number. So if you can't get it on your cell phone (which your voice number is linked to) and you can't see the text message on the GVoice site, it does you absolutely no good to do it that way.
You could always go into your account settings before you leave and disable the feature, but if you enabled it in the first place, it was for a reason, right? That said, I personally think Google could probably have a better way of doing this service - maybe security questions that we can make up (I guarantee nobody would guess the name of my first stuffed animal and steal my identity.) HOWEVER I am not a Google Geek nor really a geek in general so there may be a very good reason why Google decided to use text messages / voice call instead of the way every financial institution seems to do it. The answer would probably contain a whole bunch of computer-y words that make my head hurt. If there is a reason why we NEED to have something we know and something we have in order to be secure, then maybe we could print out a big grid of codes - say 100 boxes with one code in each box. The computer could ask you for the code in box AA5 and then you count 27 over from the left and 5 down and that's the code you put in! That would keep people from having to rely on a phone if they are overseas.
If you are moving overseas..... just deactivate the security feature until you finish moving. Honestly it's a lot easier. Hopefully nobody will hack your account during that time. Make sure you only log on when necessary, as you will probably be on unsecured networks. Just be careful!
Google's New Consolidated Privacy Policy
So as of today, Google has changed its privacy policy to make it "simpler" and "more unified." So...... what?? Right? We all got that notice above out Google products, "We're changing our privacy policy. Take a look. This is important!" Again.... So...... what????
SO THIS!
SO THIS!
- Although Google did not change how much data they are collecting about you, they changed how it would be used. By consolidating their privacy policy they can make a single profile about you based off all Google products you use. What does that mean? It means you may talk about Ugg Boots on Google Plus and then go to YouTube and see things about them there in the recommendations.
- You still have control over what Google has access to (Google is not Facebook). But it's up to you to actually control it. Google has information you give them. What information does Google have / what do they collect? http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/
So first you need to understand that you are going to be tracked no matter what. Get over it or don't. Google's services are free to you. RELAX. Google doesn't sell your address or your birth date and other personal identifying information. What they are interested in selling is your interests to salesmen who will offer you products you may be interested in. Because of the new privacy policy you may now write about Lee Filters in your blog, and then see advertisements about camera filters later.
- This tracking of your information can actually benefit you. By knowing where you live (if you have that feature enabled), Google could warn you about traffic delays on a trip you have coming up in your calendar. If you have your work schedule in your calendar, it's a good way to get a hint about an accident on the freeway.
- Google keeps your web history - like Facebook does - but the difference is that Google lets you see it, lets you delete it, or lets you pause it, etc. You can use this function to go back and look for something you searched for / didn't bookmark etc.
- However, to play the devil's advocate... the USA currently has very few laws protecting the safety of information people use online. Nobody tells Google what they can and cannot sell and to whom. (Have you ever wondered how your address and phone number made it onto some site that you apparently have an "account" with - but you never created it?) - Whether that information was sold or simply "found" it was out there for the taking. Moreover, the idea of "making the online experience better" was the same excuse used by Facebook when they were reported by CBS to be "logging" data about people indefinitely. Somewhere on a server Facebook has my web history - or at least the last 3 sites I visited after I logged out of Facebook. Although the EU has laws against this, the USA does not, and all it would currently take for the Google products to go down the same slippery slope of shady legality is to make a few immoral decisions.
- However, I have had good experiences with Google and its employees and don't think there is anything nefarious going on. Google asks when they want to use my photo for things, and the people are very responsive to suggestions about all the products. Google is a great company, and I hope they stay that way.
Some nifty suggestions to keep in mind:
- Don't post your information online if you don't want it online.
- Search for things you don't want in your browsing history without logging in or..... don't use Google to search for them. Maybe I don't want to see advertisements for Ugg Boots, so I may not log in to search for them. Or maybe I'll search for them in Bing or Yahoo.
- You can use Chrome with "incognito mode". https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95464
- You can erase or view your "web browsing history" periodically. You can erase all of it or only certain searches. You can also recall what you searched when. Here are instructions: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57382925-285/how-to-remove-your-google-web-history/?tag=mncol;txt
Keep Your Work off Pinterest
If you are like me and believe that Pinterest is evil, worried about your copyrighted work getting stolen, there is a solution you could try.
If you label your website HEAD (and every single website attached to your main domain) with the following HTML tag, you will allegedly be prohibiting your work from being "pinned:"
<meta name="pinterest" content="nopin" />
Again, that tag must go in your <head>
Of course it hurts my feelings when people steal my work, which is why I don't want it on Pinterest, a site that has been reported to not only strip the exif data off pictures but also to fail to identify the artist.... but it's even more important to me that my clients are protected from seeing their faces on advertisements or other places on the internet without their say-so. These are the reasons why I believe Pinterest to be an evil website.
If you label your website HEAD (and every single website attached to your main domain) with the following HTML tag, you will allegedly be prohibiting your work from being "pinned:"
<meta name="pinterest" content="nopin" />
Again, that tag must go in your <head>
Of course it hurts my feelings when people steal my work, which is why I don't want it on Pinterest, a site that has been reported to not only strip the exif data off pictures but also to fail to identify the artist.... but it's even more important to me that my clients are protected from seeing their faces on advertisements or other places on the internet without their say-so. These are the reasons why I believe Pinterest to be an evil website.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Lee Filters: A Short Review
LEE FILTERS - to join the list of people waiting for theirs from back order..... or to settle for something else?? Disclaimer: I am not being paid by ANYONE to put out this mini review.
Most people want Lee Filters, but get frustrated because they're on back order. You can add your name to the list of people waiting for theirs to come. I have managed to get my hands on their 3, 6, 9 ND set as well as their 3, 6, 9 GND set, the square full red, and the sunset set (half red, half orange, and half yellow.) I also have a Tamron half red and a Tamron half blue. In addition, I have a whole bunch of home-made filters, but that's another post worth of information.
While using a filter, I can indeed produce a SOOC image that is (from my perspective) better than the one I could produce with layers in photoshop with no filter use. I also find that to properly use LEE filters, one needs to know how to use the white balance on their camera to better amplify the effect of the filters (or you can do it in photoshop, but that doesn't typically turn out as nice). What I'm saying is that when you use filters, you're better off NOT shooting on AWB.
Lee is the top-of-the-line company, but if you don't want to wait or don't want to pay that much (remember that a British Pound is currently $1.55) here are some you could substitute as kits: HiTech, SinghRay, Tamron. Don't substitute Hoya or Cokin. Honestly I think my Hoya is best used as a Frisbee. Cokin only produces graduated color filters, and there is a big difference between that and a graduated gray filter. I can't speak about their quality, as I don't use their products.
Things I like about LEE: they are very compatible with my light meter. Some others I have borrowed have done wacky things to the light meter that make it annoying to shoot - you basically have to guess and check on exposure until you get a feel for whether it sits at +2 or -2.
Like all filters, Lee's products are not scratch proof. However, they come in a great cloth case and cardboard box. You can buy their filter pouch for like $7 and that's well worth the price as well. The square ND filters are best kept in the cardboard box. Don't screw up that box!
I don't have much negative to say about the filters except I wish they weren't so hard to obtain.
I will also say that the LEE grad colors out-perform my Tamron grad filters. However, if I tweek my white balance, I can achieve the same result with the Tamron product as I could with the Lee's.
About my LEE Holder
It is larger than other companies' holders, which is very convenient. It holds larger filters (4"x6"), and is great construction. I love the quick release! I can take it off the 77mm (filter size) ring and put it on the 82mm easily and quickly. It's also drop proof by the way.
I wish the attachment (the part that the quick release releases from) screwed onto the lens like either a lens cover or filter does. It's kind of a pain in the neck to attach to my lens quite honestly. It's so much of a pain that I wish I could just leave it permanently on my lens - but if I leave it on and release the holder, I have to take it off to use a lens hood or a filter. It's more than a little annoying, and I have seen better schematics on my friends' cameras.
I wish it had a slot for three filters instead of two (they make a part you can add on, but it's always sold out so if you want to use three filters and have one stay tuned as I am making something and will blog about it once it works the way I need). I find myself sometimes hoping I could use 2 grad colors and an ND but I can't because there are not enough slots to hold them. If someone can find me a 3 slot LEE holder I'd sell my 2 slot holder.
I wish there were a way to use the LEE holder with a circular polarizer on the lens. They sell a "circular polarizer front mount thread" but is back ordered (of course.) I am going to attempt to make one of those as well from a step-up ring.
Most people want Lee Filters, but get frustrated because they're on back order. You can add your name to the list of people waiting for theirs to come. I have managed to get my hands on their 3, 6, 9 ND set as well as their 3, 6, 9 GND set, the square full red, and the sunset set (half red, half orange, and half yellow.) I also have a Tamron half red and a Tamron half blue. In addition, I have a whole bunch of home-made filters, but that's another post worth of information.
While using a filter, I can indeed produce a SOOC image that is (from my perspective) better than the one I could produce with layers in photoshop with no filter use. I also find that to properly use LEE filters, one needs to know how to use the white balance on their camera to better amplify the effect of the filters (or you can do it in photoshop, but that doesn't typically turn out as nice). What I'm saying is that when you use filters, you're better off NOT shooting on AWB.
Lee is the top-of-the-line company, but if you don't want to wait or don't want to pay that much (remember that a British Pound is currently $1.55) here are some you could substitute as kits: HiTech, SinghRay, Tamron. Don't substitute Hoya or Cokin. Honestly I think my Hoya is best used as a Frisbee. Cokin only produces graduated color filters, and there is a big difference between that and a graduated gray filter. I can't speak about their quality, as I don't use their products.
Things I like about LEE: they are very compatible with my light meter. Some others I have borrowed have done wacky things to the light meter that make it annoying to shoot - you basically have to guess and check on exposure until you get a feel for whether it sits at +2 or -2.
Like all filters, Lee's products are not scratch proof. However, they come in a great cloth case and cardboard box. You can buy their filter pouch for like $7 and that's well worth the price as well. The square ND filters are best kept in the cardboard box. Don't screw up that box!
I don't have much negative to say about the filters except I wish they weren't so hard to obtain.
I will also say that the LEE grad colors out-perform my Tamron grad filters. However, if I tweek my white balance, I can achieve the same result with the Tamron product as I could with the Lee's.
About my LEE Holder
It is larger than other companies' holders, which is very convenient. It holds larger filters (4"x6"), and is great construction. I love the quick release! I can take it off the 77mm (filter size) ring and put it on the 82mm easily and quickly. It's also drop proof by the way.
I wish the attachment (the part that the quick release releases from) screwed onto the lens like either a lens cover or filter does. It's kind of a pain in the neck to attach to my lens quite honestly. It's so much of a pain that I wish I could just leave it permanently on my lens - but if I leave it on and release the holder, I have to take it off to use a lens hood or a filter. It's more than a little annoying, and I have seen better schematics on my friends' cameras.
I wish it had a slot for three filters instead of two (they make a part you can add on, but it's always sold out so if you want to use three filters and have one stay tuned as I am making something and will blog about it once it works the way I need). I find myself sometimes hoping I could use 2 grad colors and an ND but I can't because there are not enough slots to hold them. If someone can find me a 3 slot LEE holder I'd sell my 2 slot holder.
I wish there were a way to use the LEE holder with a circular polarizer on the lens. They sell a "circular polarizer front mount thread" but is back ordered (of course.) I am going to attempt to make one of those as well from a step-up ring.
Starting Photo Sales: What to Pay for and What to Not Pay For
Are you debating whether or not to start selling your photos professionally but become flabbergasted by how much it costs to do this? Here's some completely non-inclusive advice about what to pay for and what to not pay for.
PAY FOR:
1) Web hosting and domain. Personally I use because their customer service is great (it's outsourced but they have online chat and fix things immediately.) and they are pretty cheap. People trust sites that have a .com address with its own domain over anything else. You have more control over what you can post where, and more control over raising your web ratings. You even have more control over who can see your work - I don't allow mine to be pinned on Pinterest, and I can track who right click / downloads my images.
2) A web site creator (a human) or an HTML / CSS for dummies book / or a class - I took a class on Dreamweaver at the community college. Great investment!
3) A lawyer and an accountant. Nuf said. The lawyer is even more important if you photograph people - I also invested in a Business Law course and a Small Business Owners class at the college.
4) Insurance.
5) Backup for your images. Harddrive crashes are your worst enemy. I would recommend getting a or other form of backup for your precious photos.
DON'T PAY FOR:
1) A payment card program / print sales site separate from yours - I use to sell prints online instead of because it's free! It's linked to my paypal account. There are also apps out there that you can use to sell your prints off your site but they cost money. Some HTML geniuses can figure out how to do it - but I'm not one lol.
2) A business phone - I use as a number for my business so I don't have to give out my cell number - for the same reason - It's free. I can organize calls into folders like Gmail. I can easily block numbers, and I can even record calls!
3) An online organizer program to track clients / sales / etc. I use Microsoft Access to track who ordered what when - what serial number print was sold to who when - etc. No need to pay extra money for something online.
4) A smartphone. (Unless you want to or do phone-ography or something.) Lots of people think they NEED a smart phone for their business. My answer is "why?" Clients can pay by credit card via Storenvy, and I don't need internet to finish a transaction with them. My portfolio is in my briefcase on shoots and not on my phone. I suppose some might find a reason they'll NEED a smart phone, but I don't lol.
5) Entry into contests!! Sometimes I joke about how I've never won a contest, but the main reason for that is that I rarely enter. Why? Well.... why the hell would I see it as a good business practice to PAY SOMEONE to consider my art? If my art is good enough to be seen in that way they should be PAYING ME to use it. Of course there are a few exceptions (a very few), but for the most part - if you're a pro photographer entry fees into contests are a waste!
PAY FOR:
1) Web hosting and domain. Personally I use because their customer service is great (it's outsourced but they have online chat and fix things immediately.) and they are pretty cheap. People trust sites that have a .com address with its own domain over anything else. You have more control over what you can post where, and more control over raising your web ratings. You even have more control over who can see your work - I don't allow mine to be pinned on Pinterest, and I can track who right click / downloads my images.
2) A web site creator (a human) or an HTML / CSS for dummies book / or a class - I took a class on Dreamweaver at the community college. Great investment!
3) A lawyer and an accountant. Nuf said. The lawyer is even more important if you photograph people - I also invested in a Business Law course and a Small Business Owners class at the college.
4) Insurance.
5) Backup for your images. Harddrive crashes are your worst enemy. I would recommend getting a or other form of backup for your precious photos.
DON'T PAY FOR:
1) A payment card program / print sales site separate from yours - I use to sell prints online instead of because it's free! It's linked to my paypal account. There are also apps out there that you can use to sell your prints off your site but they cost money. Some HTML geniuses can figure out how to do it - but I'm not one lol.
2) A business phone - I use as a number for my business so I don't have to give out my cell number - for the same reason - It's free. I can organize calls into folders like Gmail. I can easily block numbers, and I can even record calls!
3) An online organizer program to track clients / sales / etc. I use Microsoft Access to track who ordered what when - what serial number print was sold to who when - etc. No need to pay extra money for something online.
4) A smartphone. (Unless you want to or do phone-ography or something.) Lots of people think they NEED a smart phone for their business. My answer is "why?" Clients can pay by credit card via Storenvy, and I don't need internet to finish a transaction with them. My portfolio is in my briefcase on shoots and not on my phone. I suppose some might find a reason they'll NEED a smart phone, but I don't lol.
5) Entry into contests!! Sometimes I joke about how I've never won a contest, but the main reason for that is that I rarely enter. Why? Well.... why the hell would I see it as a good business practice to PAY SOMEONE to consider my art? If my art is good enough to be seen in that way they should be PAYING ME to use it. Of course there are a few exceptions (a very few), but for the most part - if you're a pro photographer entry fees into contests are a waste!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)