Kristians Weblog

I was photographing in the last days - please tell me when you like them:

Werder Bremen Trikots bestellen

Looks like that some of the wine corks in the photo are made of that corkless stuff. I suppose that is recyclable but I would need to do research. In the meantime I have a container filling up with wine corks of both types. I was planning on using them in some sort of art project.

Our local IKEA takes in small batteries for recycling. I don't shop there very often, but I collect my batteries in a container until I have enough to justify a trip the mouse maze or am shopping nearby.

My San Diego neighborhood has green recycling and takes about every thing except palm fronds and other fibrous plants. City residents can go to the green recycling center and get free mulch and compost.

I second what JScott says, shop greener.

Why does Casey Anthony’s defense team want certain photos of her kept out of her murder trial?

“The defense argues that these pictures, many of them, were taken even before Caylee disappeared,” WESH-Channel 2’s Bob Kealing reported this afternoon. “They argue they’ve been shown in an attempt to quote ‘vilify’ her in the eyes of potential jurors.”

WFTV-Channel 9 anchor Martie Salt put the development this way: “Attorneys don’t want a jury to see controversial photos of Casey partying because they say the pictures were taken before Caylee disappeared.”

WKMG-Channel 6’s Mike DeForest on Monday had reported on the defense’s moves to keep the photos out.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

The photos show Anthony partying, dancing and drinking, and the defense calls the images “irrelevant evidence.”

Kealing also explained the state’s position: “The photos taken while Caylee was missing, investigators have argued, show that Casey was not looking for her missing child and not overly concerned about welfare or whereabouts.”

The defense also wants Cindy Anthony’s911 call kept out of the murder trial as part of “a motion to exclude hearsay evidence, gossip and innuendo,” Kealing said.

WFTV’s Salt said a defense motion seeks “to keep testimony about Casey’s character out of the case.”  

WESH also reported that today the defense team finished deposing investigators who worked on the case.

from: Ghislaines Blog
Lyzas Weblog
Cindels Site

My favorite Fussball-Trikot: Oliver Neuville Fussball Trikot kaufen

from: Sooleawas Blog
Petes Tek Blog

In the last few years, I’ve spoken with Frank Dell’apa, Ray Hudson, Grant Wahl, Ives Galarcep, Jack Bell, Bruce McGuire, Jeff Carlisle, Buzz Carrick, Mitch Peacock, Robert Abramowitz, Beau Dure, and others, but it’s been a while since I sat down with one of the flashlight bearers in this little wilderness to get their story.

Now that the soccer journalism transfer window appears to be closing in on the World Cup and a new MLS Season (there is going to be one, right?), I thought it meaningful to get back to basics.

With the USMNT playing in Amsterdam tomorrow, and what with my fascination by the life (I imagine) of an American living in Europe, writing a blog for an American audience, there was no one better to kick this series back into motion than Greg Seltzer, who brings the boys back home through his various outlets as a full-time soccer writer.

Yes, he does earn a living off internet soccer writing.

TIAS: When I mentioned to a few people that I was going to talk to you, everyone was curious about how you make it work over there. And what with the Amsterdam game, figured it was good timing.

Greg Seltzer: Yeah, I think a lot of people are confused that this is actually how I make my living.

Exactly. We’ll get to that, but let’s start at the beginning. Where were you born and raised?

St. Louis, a good soccer town. I went to Ladue Horton Watkins high school and was on the school newspaper all four years. Most of it was not sports-related, but my first experience of this kind was on the high school newspaper. A couple of times I went to the Blues’ locker room after a game or to a practice, and I did a couple of features on a couple of the hockey players back then. I went off to the University of Missouri, in their pre-journalism program, and then I ran out of money and had to go to work.

I started doing other things and various types of writing and non-writing things—working in restaurants and trying to open restaurants and things like that. And then I was in Birmingham, AL, I guess it was 2000 or 2001, and one day realized that Soccer365 was headquartered there. I thought, “Why don’t we kick this writing back up.” It’s always been really natural for me to relate things and tell stories and play with words, so I just walked in there and said, “What do you need me to do?” I wasn’t looking for a lot of money; I just wanted to get back into it.

How old were you?

I was 31. I had been away from it for awhile, so I did a few samples for them and picked up some weekend editor duties, picked up their vacation days, took over the website. I did a few women’s and men’s national team games during that time and just gradually it became full-time, and then that was my job a couple of years later.

So from those beginnings, how do we get to where you are now?

It was certainly not a luxurious living I was making when I first moved to Europe, which would have been August of 2003. When World Cup 2002 was going on, one night after a U.S. game I decided I was going to be working World Cup 2006. I started right then planning and saving. It took about a year-and-a-half before I went. There were times when it was a real struggle, and I needed help from friends. Financially it was hard to make a living, especially when the dollar started going out from under me. There were tough times, but just kind of keep plugging away, and gradually things have improved. Things are going well; I have something coming up I can’t really devulge quite yet (now he can).

So you just picked up and said, “I’m moving to Europe?”

That was the whole idea. I started in Germany and Switzerland to get the scene, be involved in the whole Champions League, European games, and just get myself ready for the cup. Just getting the vibe, get in the flow of it, make contacts, meet people, go to games I’d never been to before, broaden my experience of observing and then reporting or relating from that.

Like lately, right now, I’ve been thinking I want to go take the coaches course, because it will improve my writing, the analysis of my writing. Just broaden my brain, to open it up to more things, get more influences in there. Get involved. It’s a bigger scene, here, and I had done everything that was there, so I had to be at World Cup, go early, and be immersed in the whole thing. It was all about the soccer. An adventure, you know?

Brave soul.

A lot of people thought I was insane. I just got it in my head that that was what I wanted. What I wanted to experience. What I wanted to do. Where I wanted to take this. I just focused on it and got it done.  It’s certainly not a microwave oven formula for success. It was what I wanted to do. Enjoying and having a connection to what I am doing is more important than going for every last dollar.

How did soccer grab you to this extreme?

In St. Louis, it’s not hard to run into the game. It’s everywhere. I played rec-league, but mostly played other sports. When I ran outside, soccer wasn’t what I was running outside to do. I do remember my dad loving all things German, and so he would watch Soccer Made In Germany on PBS, and that was where I really started. I have memories still. I was 5 years old. Had to be like 1974.

Part of the show was the Bundesliga, and then they would veer off someplace else, and occasionally to the Dutch national team, which is my first love. I saw a clip of them, and it was instantly clear to me at the time that these guys were doing something nobody else was doing out there. Living in America before the internet, it wasn’t something I could see or experience, so it was rather sporadic. When they won the European cup in 1988, I think I found out a few weeks later. I had no clue.

ESPN started showing Eredivisie games every weekend. Ajax was a machine with it’s Berkamps and Davids, and you could just go one—UEFA Cup, Champions League. And they were on ESPN almost every Sunday. That team was when the passion for it really came in full blown. Then it wasn’t just some distant magically romantic thing, it was there every weekend, live, not three weeks later.

Anyone who has been to No Short Corners can obviously tell I have a love for Dutch football. That was my first love. I didn’t even realize that the U.S. had a national team until I think Ricky Davis was in the team, because I was a big Ricky Davis fan. That had to be mid-to-late Eighties before I realized they even had one. And of course just a few years later the World Cup came around and before you know it, you can’t remember a time when you didn’t follow it everyday.

It’s strange—If anyone asks I have one club: Ajax. But I kind of have two national teams that I live and die with. I get a lot of questions about that. The Dutch were my first love, so you can’t just throw them out.

Is that why you ended up in Amsterdam?

The first time I came here was for 90 Minutes magazine to talk to John O’Brien. It was a really big thrill for me personally, to go to an Ajax match and so forth and so on. I was only here for 3 or 4 days, and I really enjoyed the city. Later on, I went back for a longer time.

I’m still amazed a magazine would send you to Amsterdam.

No, that was all me. I went up there, scheduled it all out while keeping my usual stuff going. They didn’t pay for me to go there.

That sounds more like it.

Yep, so I just fell it love with Amsterdam. It suits me. This is where I feel happiest and most at home. I like that I don’t have to drive a car. I like so many things that we could just sit here and talk about that for hours. But yeah, I had been hopping around a bit, and it was time to stop living out of suitcases so much. I was in Hamburg and Zurich, which I liked as well, but this just feels very natural. It’s in me.

Was it natural for you to focus specifically on Americans, when did that frame come to be?

There wasn’t really a lot of attention paid to guys over here. It makes sense. It had not really evolved to that, and the media didn’t have people traveling all over the place. But I did that John O’Brien piece and a few others—I did Cory Gibbs while he was at St. Pauli, Conor Casey, and others. That was when I was really part on that trail the first time. The magazine—I am over here, and that is what they wanted from me, because, what else would they want? I’m the only one over here.

Talk about cornering a market.

They would just be like, “Who can you go talk to?” I didn’t have quite as many contacts right when I arrived, but I was able to hop on my bicycle to the St. Pauli training ground or grab a train up here. That was I guess the first time I realized that someone needs to be checking in on these guys. I went through Yanks Abroad, went through American Soccer Daily, and yeah, now, everyone and their mother is calling up, after guys all the way down to lower leagues. So I definitely got in on that in the right moment.

You say every and their mother is calling you up, but now it seems everyone and their mother is starting a blog about Americans playing abroad.

They do seem to be springing up.

How do you fit into all of that madness? A lot of people don’t know this is your full-time job. So break that down for me in terms of No Short Corners.

The blog started when I—how do I say this delicately—when I negotiated a new salary or whatever with Soccer365. There were a few blogs out there detailing these stories, but I wanted No Short Corners to be a little different. I wanted to be able to get little posts up about news or if something crazy happened, some goal clip fast, but it says “gonzo” on the tag line up top of the blog, and as much as we have time for, we try to get that stuff in there. Sean and I.

One of the posts I like the best is called Foiled like an old school Ding Dong, and it basically runs through the story of my disastrous trip to Amsterdam ArenA to go interview some players and leaving without a single quote on tape from anyone about anything. I had a busted toe at the time—it was just a big misery story. So we like to put those things in. Sean—he travels around a lot—so when he’s in Columbia or Poland or something, he likes to throw in some of their soccer flavor in there.

I love Sean’s posts; I wish he had more time to do them. But we try to have the stuff people expect that catches them up but also throw in a little odd flavor.

Who those who may not know, who is Sean?

Sean O’Conor. At this point he works outside the soccer writing industry but he still does some things for SoccerPhile and posts on No Short Corners when he has the time. I’m an American, and my way and some of the various things I say are clearly American, and Sean is British and brings a good contrast. He brings a little class to the place. He’s a good partner in this. Gives a good balance. Wish I was rich and could pay him to do it full-time.

So is Soccer365 a full-time job for you?

Yes. As of this moment all of my salary money comes from Soccer365. That will change shortly, but at this moment and for the last long while. I don’t use No Short Corners in any way to make money. I don’t put any effort into selling ads. So Soccer365 pays the bills, but it’s not been steady the way the economy’s been, and the way that this is such a small niche in America. But gradually we try and try, and things have gotten better for me, so on that note, like I said, I’m not living large, but I’m living, and it’s good enough for me.

What’s your daily schedule look like?

This is why everyone hates me. I don’t wake up to an alarm clock. Maybe 3, 4, 5 times a year. So I wake up around 10am, but it depends. That’s one thing about being over here. If there is an MLS match or something, I will have to get myself up to watch that, so maybe I’ll sleep till noon the next day.

I start off getting caught up with news, whatever happened in America while I slept. I check a few things that I’m keeping an eye on. Just getting back into the swing of it. I’ll usually get into making phone calls in the afternoon once people are back from lunch and in the office. I keep track of my regular columns, like Grapevine, which is simply whispers from all over the world. So I will knock those things out and spend most of the day working with the blog or putting together a feature or column. And I have my lunch ritual of watching the Daily Show.

Which leads perfectly into my next question. Is all of your American media consumption online? It has to be, right?

It is, but in the same way Amsterdam’s demographics are very diverse, so are its cable TV offerings. So I’m not just getting Dutch stuff and the Dutch highlight show. I have two English channels, Turkey, Belgium, seven, eight, nine channels from all over the place. Most people don’t have nine league highlight shows on their TV. That helps a lot. Then add in Eurosport, and they show a lot of international stuff. I will occasionally have someone put a computer cam on a TV in the U.S., so I can watch the game on their TV on my computer in Amsterdam. You have to improvise sometimes to find these games. I haven’t actually been at a U.S. men’s national team game since August 2007. So this is going to be a really good thing.

It’s hard being far away sometimes, but you do what you can do and make it work best you can. Because I am not often if ever writing game reports, it’s not essential that I watched the game right there and then. I can wait until there is a replay or there is a video.

Is it fair to say your reading audience is almost entirely American?

At No Short Corners–yeah. At Soccer365, last time I checked, they have a fairly size-able audience in South Africa, some Canadian and Mexican, and there’s a little bit of English people coming over now and again. I was curious about that because we’re facing them in the World Cup, and I think they are sort of spying us a little more than we realize, looking into our bubble.

I think from the geography to your audience, to what you cover, you might be the best example or the most extreme example inside this little bubble of someone who really has used the internet to turn themselves into a soccer writer.

I think that is a good estimation. Before Soccer365, I was invited and was allowed to have the odd guest column in a few newspapers in the States, but I don’t believe any of them were about soccer. So my job is fully a product of the internet, the rise of the news coverage, the rise of the thirst for news coverage—all of it.

And what were you doing in Birmingham exactly when you read about 365 headquarters?

I was unsuccessfully trying to put together a St. Louis Bread Company that would have gone at the Summit, for all the Birmingham people—an outdoor ritzy titzy shopping center atop a little mountain. And there were actually putting one at the Summit just before I left, so somebody agreed with me that it was a terrific idea. Business things, all things business, and yeah, it’s just not my arena; it’s not my comfort zone, it’s not my knowledge base. So yeah unsuccessfully trying to open a restaurant is what I had been doing when I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should go back to doing something that comes a little easier to me.” Yeah, that’s not my scene.

—-

Banner photo screen shot from Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

Lucia Chocholackova’s “Amsterdam“ (acrylic on canvas) available at the Amsterdam Art Gallery.

FUBU is making a comeback!

PopWatch’s love affair with Johnny Weir continued last night as he made an appearance on HLN’s Joy Behar Show. He reiterated his position that the two sports commentators who suggested he undergo a gender test during the Olympics should’ve thought before they spoke: Parents may repress their children if they think they’ll just be ridiculed for being themselves or (gasp!) turning out like him. “And I think me is pretty fabulous,” Weir said. Behar agreed, adding that she loved his “Snooki hair.” “It’s Marie Antoinette, not so Snooki,” Weir corrected her. Then he admitted he doesn’t actually know that much about Snooki, and I had a vision of us sharing a (faux) fur blanket and watching a Real Housewives of Atlanta marathon (his preferred reality show) while he occasionally got up to dust my apartment. But wait, there’s more…

Behar asked him to comment on the remarks that he was “too gay” for figure skating. His response: (sideways glance) “It’s figure skating.” Ha! He made the point that no man has ever been accused of being “too butch” for the sport, and often, the women are “more butch” than the men. “I mean, feathers, rhinestones, you know, velvet, glitter, it’s not exactly the image, especially for Americans, of a macho sport. But what I do, I challenge any football player, any hockey player, any soccer player, to do what I do for one day and not cry,” he said. Forget, Shaq vs. — that is a show I would watch! Behar then showed him a clip of Isaac Mizrahi on her show joking that Johnny was “a little too gay.” She said he was in good company if Elton John thinks Jesus is gay. “I suppose so… I think Jesus was a woman,” he quipped. Behar decided she wasn’t going to touch that one, and instead moved on to Weir’s fur controversy. He said he wasn’t going to lie and say he just wears faux fur now. “Just because someone feels one way, doesn’t mean I’m gonna change how I feel.”

Highlights not in the video above: Weir said he felt he deserved to medal in Vancouver after delivering a free skate that was the best he’s ever been: “But figure skating is a judged sport, a political sport. There was already one American assured a medal spot, and maybe they were saving room so that two Americans couldn’t be on the medal stand.” (Note: When superfan Kelly Ripa suggested he was robbed on Regis and Kelly Tuesday, he blamed the judges’ ages.) Also, he admitted he didn’t get any action in the Olympic Village. “There are usually rules in the Olympic Village: No smoking, no drinking, no drugs, and no fornication,” he said. “So I was very shocked that they were giving us condoms.”

More Johnny Weir:
Johnny Weir and Larry King discuss his fierceness
Johnny Weir responds to commentators who questioned his gender, example he sets
Johnny Weir wants to write a figure skating tell-all. When can we pre-order?
Be Good Johnny Weir: ‘I was a taller girl too, once’
EW’s Olympics Hub
PopWatch on Ice: Figure skating recaps, interviews, and commentary

I made new Photos in the last days - please tell me what you think:

Fotos bestellen Fotoabzüge Kostenlos entwickeln - Einfach sparen und 50 Gratis Bilder abstauben. Tolle Video-Anleitung für alle, die nicht wissen wie man Bilder online entwickeln kann. Kann man nur weiterempfehlen!

from: Carrees Site
Mayfields Site

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has bought up online photo-editing service Picnik—the latest in its string of recent acquisitions. In a blog post, Picnik says that nothing will change immediately at its popular site and that its staffers will continue to work on Picnik from Google’s offices in Seattle.

One obvious result, however, could be that Google will ultimately add some of Picnik’s online photo editing features to its own Picasa photo editing and organization service, which remains principally desktop-based—a disparity among Google’s mostly cloud-based products (The online version of Picasa, for instance, glaringly does not include any built-in photo editing).

Financial details are not being released. Picnik, which has been profitable for more than a year now, was entirely funded by its three founders, including Jonathan Sposato, who sold the previous company he started, Phatbits, to Google four years ago.

When we last caught up with Sposato in October, he told us that several suitors had approached the company about a possible sale and that he wouldn’t rule one out. “Not every single one of those opportunities was necessarily the right one for Picnik,” he said.

Sposato said then that the company was considering expanding into online photo storage but didn’t need to raise outside funds to do so since the efforts would be subsidized by paying members.

For those keeping track, this is Google’s ninth acquisition since August.

Related Stories

• Interview: Picnik’s Sposato: Is The Photo-Editing Site The New Mint.com?

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My favorite Football-Trikot: David Odonkor Trikots Online Shop

from: Cyndis Weblog
Kameryns Blog

Joule, the electric vehicle from South African company Optimal Energy, is on display at the 80th International Motor Show in Geneva in a form tantalisingly close to the planned production version.

Designed by South African-born Keith Helfet – well known for his design of the iconic Jaguar XJ220 – Joule has been developed from a static display model and engineering prototype into a pre-production prototype by Zagato’s Total Design Centre, and Joule deservedly forms the centrepiece of a stand at Geneva shared by Optimal Energy and the iconic Milanese design house.

The Optimal Energy-Zagato-Helfet team has made a number of changes to Joule and the car shown in Geneva is somewhat different, especially at the rear, from the version first unveiled in Paris two years ago. This car was hand-built in Port Elizabeth by Hi-Tech Automotive, which is responsible for building a marketing and test fleet of approximately 100 vehicles. These will double as research and development units, some of which will be on South African roads by the start of the Soccer World Cup in June.

Joule’s mantra is Born Electric. A key strength and differentiator of Optimal Energy is freedom from many of the constraints that affect traditional car companies. As virtually the only automotive manufacturer focused exclusively on electric cars for the mass market, everything Optimal Energy does is directed towards achieving that goal. Not only has this fresh approach led to the creation of a new kind of car, but it will ultimately also lead to a new way of buying a car and a new kind of customer ownership experience.

Full-scale production of Joule will begin at the end of 2012, with cars in showrooms by mid-2013. Key design goals for the finished product include a range of 230 kilometres based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) or 300 km using the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS); integration with existing charging infrastructure; a genuine freeway cruising capability; seating for five; a 4-star NCAP safety rating and a retail price of €24 300, or roughly R260 000 at today’s exchange rate.

Optimal Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EDAG, a German automotive full service supplier, to industrialise the Joule. EDAG has built an outstanding reputation working with many well known carmakers over the past 40 years, and in partnering with EDAG, Optimal Energy is ensuring that the best of German automotive engineering will be integrated into the series production Joule.

Optimal Energy has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Energy Innovation Group (EIG), a South Korean lithium battery cell supplier, to explore the potential of setting up a manufacturing facility in South Africa, for the non-exclusive supply of cells to Optimal Energy. The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC), as potential investor, is party to this Memorandum. The IDC is currently an investor in Optimal Energy.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of South Africa has just announced its 2010 – 2013 Industrial Policy Action Plan, in which the commercialisation of South Africa’s electric car is specifically addressed. This includes the provision of appropriate support to encourage local manufacture of EV’s and related components, infrastructure roll-out for such EV’s, creation of testing facilities, provision of demand stimulation mechanisms and public education on the use and benefits of alternative energy source vehicles.

These are major steps towards reaching Optimal Energy’s vision of establishing and leading the electric vehicle industry in South Africa and expanding globally.

Via Optimal Energy. Images via @HannesO_CARmag

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I have taken some Pictures in the last weeks - please tell me what they tell you:

Bilder entwickeln Tell me if you like them - i love to discuss the photos with you!

In the past, couples were satisfied with taking pictures at the church and reception hall. Then one day someone decided it would be cool to take pictures outdoors. I have no idea when taking outdoor photos became a trend, but the fact is it is now a must have for every brides photo album. I found this out while helping my sister plan her wedding. Every photographer that we met had displayed very few pictures of a bride and groom in a church, but instead they all posted huge poster-sized photos of couples in beautiful outdoor locations!

Suddenly these everyday wedding couples turned into models. It seemed simple for the photographer to take any pretty location, a happy couple, and add on some professional photo effects to make something that was more than just a photo. Instead it was a work of art. Does this sound interesting to you? Then read on to find how to pick a great location for your photos, plus some local places for Michigan Brides to check out.

What types of places should I look for?
Here comes the hard part, finding a place that is not only photogenic, but is also going to work for you. Following are some tips to help you decide where and what kinds of photos you want:

1: Think of your favorite places. It is time to think outside the box! If there is a certain place that is really special to you and your spouse, this is the first place you should look. For example, my brother grew up near Detroit and he made a point to stop at Comerica Park to take a few pictures with the Tiger. These are fun pictures that they are sure to always remember because it is unique and captures a part of their personal history.

Other examples are: the place where you and your fiance first met, the location of your first date, a place you two visit together often that is special to you. Perhaps you just want to stop at some hot spots around town. Whatever the case may be, only do this IF you are willing to let go of your inhibitions. If you are too shy or embarrassed to take photos in front of people who may think you are cuckoo, then you better pass on this idea. By the way, people will think you are cuckoo if you are taking photos in front of the ice cream shop where you had your first date. However, if you know you can open up and just have fun with it, I guarantee you will love your fun and unique pics!

2: What do you find pretty? Some couples find beauty in historical landmarks, houses, and things of that nature. If this is something you enjoy also, check out your local historical hot spots. Many of these historical places are now turned into parks where any visitor can stop by for pictures.

3: Find the water! For some reason I associate outdoor photos with water. It seems like having a lake, pond, river or even the ocean (if you live on the coast) in the background can make any wedding photo just pop. Busy public areas may not be promising as there will likely be a lot of people around, however check out the small lakes and rivers that run by your town. Even if it is just a tiny pond, your photographer should be able to focus on the water in a way that makes it look great in your pictures.

4: Plants and Trees. Plant life is perhaps the main pull for taking photos outside. Almost any tree can add a great backdrop to your photos, and trees can be found in almost any park. OR, if you have a relative with a forest in the backyard, you can even use that! Flowers are more popular in wedding photos, so if you love the thought of a background full of blooming flowers, think about visiting some local gardens or (once again) historical landmarks which are often decorated with flowers. You have to think about the time of year you are taking photos as well since there won't be many flowers found in February, but there will be lots in the summer.

5: Props. If you don't think you can take photos with just water and plants, seek a place that has props. Many parks and other places have pretty gazebos, bridges, fences, and other props that can really add to your photos. These props can also be a great way for your photographer to mix it up a little and provide some variety in your photos.

6: Other ideas. Now that you have an idea of what types of pictures other people take, now you can branch out to think of any other place that comes to mind. Last month I was at a mall with a carousel and saw an entire bridal party come in and ride the carousel for pictures. It was cute and a very unique idea. As mentioned, ideas like this only work if you have the guts to be silly in public.

Once I have an idea, how do I find a place?
Now the research begins! If you live in Southeast Michigan, you can skip down to see things that I already researched. If you live elsewhere, here are some ideas to help you find some local places.

1: Find a park, any park. Start by going to your county's website, or even just driving around to find local parks, lakes, ponds, etc. Make a list of places to visit and explore further. Seek out pictures online to make the future steps easier and quicker.

2: Find historical land. Next, even if historical buildings isn't your thing, you may still find that these places have many pretty backdrops outside of just buildings. Research online to find what kind of historical places are in your town.

3: TheKnot Forums. Visit the forums on www.theknot.com or any other wedding website. TheKnot has a local wedding board so you can find your local area, and chat with others to ask their ideas on where to take photos in your area.

4: Make some phone calls. Before you get too excited about any particular place, call their offices (if there is any) to make sure of the following:
-Verify you have permission to shot photos at their location
-Find out if there are any fees involved
-Find out if you are allowed to “book” the place and also make sure no one has booked it already for the time you need it.

5: Do some footwork. With your list AND a digital camera in hand, take a few members of your bridal party to check out the locations. Take pictures of the locations for further review. You can even make your friends pose for some just for fun. Snap a picture of anything you find interesting about the place so you can remember it later. Don't look at the place in general, but instead look for photo opportunities. A certain place can look dull and drab when you look at the OVERALL area, however if you focus on that group of trees over there, or that gazebo over here, you may see many beautiful photo ops! Remember that your photographer can make the best of almost any area and will be sure to showcase it in a way that looks gorgeous no matter what.

6: The Time Factor: You have to also account for the Time you will need to drive to the location. If you have 3 hours between your ceremony and your reception, but the place you want is 1 hour away, that might not be enough time for you to really take good pictures. Be sure to plan your wedding day schedule before deciding on a place so that you know exactly how much time you have available. Once you know your time constraints, use yahoo maps to find out how long it takes to get from your ceremony to the outdoor location, and then back to your reception. Add buffer time on the trip to allow for things that go wrong. This may help you eliminate places that are just too far, OR you may find yourself rescheduling your day so you can hit the place you wanted the most.

7: Decisions, Decisions. Back at home, review your photos to pick your favorites. Pick your first choice and at least one backup choice just in case something goes wrong with your top choice.

That's it! Easy isn't it? Ok, you might think that is a lot of work, but just imagine how much you are going to enjoy the photos. When I was searching for locations, I quickly found some options. However I wasn't satisfied with them! So I searched and searched until I finally found the beautiful place I picked. Now people see my pictures and they ask me “Where is that? Can I go there?”.

Is this going to cost me?
To be honest, it very well could cost you if you are determined to use a certain location, and that certain location is determined to charge you. However, if you are not dead-set on one particular place, you will definitely be able to find a FREE location to take pictures… it just may take a little footwork on your part.

Places that might charge you: Basically if the place is GORGEOUS, they will probably charge you to use it. There are a few local places by me that are beautifully manicured and taken care of very well…. so of course they won't let you take pictures for free. I chalk it up to the cost it takes to pay the employees that keep the place in shape. You may also find that historical places will charge you for use of their property. This could be anywhere from $100-400 for just a few hours at the location. On the plus side, most places that charge you will also ensure no one else will be on the property distracting your photo time.

Places that probably won't charge you: Public parks or landmarks will most likely not charge you, but at the same time they won't be able to guarantee that no one else will be in your way on that particular day. As for the idea above about taking pics at your favorite places in town, those places are not likely to charge you, and are not even that likely to notice you taking pictures! However be prepared for many onlookers. This is not to say that there are always other people at the free locations, but you should be prepared for that.

What if it rains?
Oh the horror… You've planned everything out, found a beautiful location, and the day of your wedding it pours ALL day? What do you do? This is why you need a backup plan. Find an Indoor location that is also pretty for you to take photos if it comes down to it. My hall had a pretty entrance with a spiral staircase as well as some other features so I knew that if worse came to worse I could take photos here. In fact, we did take some photos there anyway, but we could have taken all of our pics if we had to.

Also check out your church and visit the other rooms. Some churches have very nice reception areas or rooms that could be used for photos if you are stuck. Look at the hotel you are staying at as well since they usually have nice lobbies and sometimes highly decorated areas where photos would be great. Another option could be as simple as your own home. If you have a nice decor, or could add some flowers and backdrops, you may find your house to be a great backup plan for photos. Whatever you do, make sure you plan ahead and have an indoor location picked out as a backup.

Who do you bring with you?
This is purely up to you! You could have your entire bridal party go to each location with you, including parents. I opted to just have the bridesmaids and groomsmen to make things a little easier and took all my family pictures at the church. A third option is for you and your spouse to go it alone. Perhaps you are just looking for some romantic outdoor pictures and you don't want anyone else around.

Let's explore those options a little further for the pros and cons.

WHOLE Bridal Party: On the plus side, you can take pictures with your parents and everyone else using the pretty backdrops of your location. On the down side, your parents have to travel with you, usually driving separate from you since you and your attendants are probably in a limo, and your parents have little to no break in between the ceremony and the wedding. If your parents are having family at their house in between, they would miss most of this time as they would be taking photos with you. As an option, you can have your parents come and take your family photos FIRST so that your parents can head home while you finish up with the rest of your bridal party.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: This includes flower girls and ring-bearers, but that is also optional. The plus side of bringing your bridal party is that you can take lots of fun pictures. Being outdoors usually leads to more ideas for unique pics, silly pics, or cool pics that you will all remember. The only downside is that your bridal party may get bored and/or restless when you and your spouse are taking couple photos. You can always stash some food and drinks in the limos and tell them to go eat when you are done with them so you can get some alone time.

Just Us: If you really don't care about taking your bridal party pics outside at all, then just make it a private escape. The pro is that your photographer has a lot more time with just the two of you so that she can set up a lot of different and romantic shots. Since no one you know would be around to tease you, you may be more willing to take serious pictures or other types that you normally wouldn't take in front of other people. On the downside, it would not be as fun in my opinion. Spending the whole day with your bridal party is definitely more fun. You have years and years to be alone with your new spouse, so if you don't feel the need to be alone with each other now than bring the group.

Where could I take pics in Southeast Michigan?
Like I said, it takes a lot of footwork to find a place that is good for you and works for your purposes and times. Since I already did a lot of that footwork, here are some ideas for you. Some are free, some are pricey, some will take more research from you, it all depends on what you are willing to do.

1: Mill Race
I choose this place after I found a picture of a wedding couple online that said the picture was taken in Northville, MI. I asked around until I finally learned this was Mill Race. I called and they said they were available for a few hours for me to take photos that day… and those few hours perfectly coincided with my wedding day schedule! Best of all, it was free! Check out my attachments for photos that we took there*. They do not allow people to book the park for photos, so there was a risk of other guests visiting, or someone else booking the park for an event and preventing me from using it. The person I spoke to said she would start asking us to leave 15 minutes before the planned event that was scheduled, but that she wouldn't toss us out as long as we were wrapping up. When we went, there was no visitors. However, you still have to call and check because they do allow people to book the place for wedding ceremonies. Call in advance, and then call again when the time comes closer just to make sure it is still open. Have a back up plan in case it is not.

Mill Race is located at 215 Griswold, Northville, MI. Be sure to visit before the wedding day so you don't get lost! Print maps for your limo driver and photographer.

2: Newburgh Lake (Pointe)
This was my back up plan. As a public area, there was no worry of this place being booked. Check out my attachments for photos I took when I went to check it out. This pretty location has the background of the lake, as well as some interesting benches, stairs, and trees that can be used to make very nice backdrops. Just be forewarned that since this is a public park, you may have some onlookers as you are taking photos. You may have onlookers in ANY park though, so just get used to it!

Newburgh Lake is located at Edward Hines and Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI. Another semi-confusing place, so find it before you plan it!

3. Greenmead Historical Park
I have never been here but I was recommended by a few friends to check it out. I called and did find out it was free to take pictures, however it was slightly complicated as they wanted to set a meeting with me to come see the park rather than just letting me go. I had this in my back pocket as a “just in case” place, but since my 1 and 2 seemed to work out, I never ended up visiting. Apparently it's a nice Historical area that is kept in decent shape for visitors.

Greenmead Historical Park is located at 20501 N Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI.

4. Governer Warner Mansion
If you have cash to burn, or you are willing to pay for a great location, this place looks great. I've never been since I called and they said they charge something like $300 for permission to take photos, however their website is full of pics displaying their beautiful gardens, benches, at least one gazebo and more. At one point I had found a garden tour showcasing so many pretty flowers at this location, but I can't seem to find the link now. It's probably better just to visit yourself! You should be able to negotiate being able to do a quick walkthrough for free so you can see the location.

Governor Warner Mansion and Museum is located at 33805 Grand River Avenue, Farmington, MI. Very pretty and well manicured, but pricey!

5: Heritage Park
This location had a very pretty gazebo and a lake, however they also charged for usage. I believe they stated around $200. Besides that, the gazebo was the only thing I really liked about the place. However, if you take a look at there website, you may find more photo ops for you. It's worth checking out if you are really looking for the best place for you.

Heritage Park is located at Heritage Park Dr., west of Canton Center, south of Cherry Hill.

6. Kellogg Park
This location has a very nice fountain that would make a great backdrop for photos, however I'm not sure what else the park has to offer. It is worth checking out if you live in or near Plymouth.

Kellogg Park is located at North Main in Plymouth, MI. In the link, click to see the Parks Brochure and on page 2 you will see thefountain.

7: Meadowbrook Hall
If you have the time, or live closer to Meadowbrook Hall in … MI, you should definitely check it out. See attached photo* as we took our engagement photos there. Also free, this location is very pretty and can lead to many beautiful photos! Please note, while we were able to take our engagement pictures for free, our photographer did note that they will probably charge if you want to take wedding photos there. Please also note that people may book areas of the hall for events and weddings and therefore you may not be allowed to take pictures everywhere, or maybe not even at all. Call to figure this out before you fall in love with th

Meadowbrook Hall is located at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Plenty of pretty photo ops at this location.

8: Hines Drive, Local Parks etc.
I've listed a place along Hines Drive already, but wanted to note that there are many pretty locations along Hines Drive! A lot of them may not look the greatest at first, but as mentioned above, if you focus on certain aspects of Hines Drive you can find some very nice photo ops. If you are really stuck for where to take pictures, try driving up and down Hines Drive, taking pictures of your favorite spots. You should find plenty of places to take pics. Check out this map of Wayne County as well as Hines Drives parks for some locations and pictures.

The same can be said for almost any local park. Even though you may have been to a certain park, and you didn't think it was very pretty, I ask you to visit again. Once again, put your camera goggles on and only look for photo ops. I bet that even your local school park has a few spots that would make for pretty photos. Check out this map of Livonia, MI Parks or this map of Canton, MI Parks or this map of Plymouth, MI Parks for a starting point.

Wrapping it all up
In the end, if having pretty outdoor photos is important to you, then you will need to do some research in order to get it just right. It would be easy to say “I'll just go to this park”, but with the amount you are probably spending on photographers, it would be nice to get the BEST place you can find instead of the everyday place. Even if you think you have time to figure this out, it's a good idea to start planning early in case you have to book a place in advance. Enjoy your searching!!

*Photos taken by www.ejphotos.com

from: Siennas Site

Pets can be our best friends. Upload a photo of your favorite pet for a chance to win $200. Photo should be artistic and creative, have fun!

Upload your photo contest entry before December 16th ,2009.

Join the pet photo contest.

I taken Pics in the last weeks - please tell me what you think:

link Tell me if you like them - i love to discuss the photos with you!

Of Babaism and election language

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe must have made quite an impression on my father: in the days when I still had the pleasure of his company as a child, he always told certain stories of the erudite and oratorical prowess of the Owelle. As a tough political activist himself who mostly fought in the trenches for the actualization of the then Midwest state, and in his capacity as the then Secretary-General of the Midwest State Union, he presented a welcome address to the Owelle when he showed up in Benin City or Oleh (sorry folks, I can't quiet remember the name of the town). T'was in the year 1950 something and I was not born then. But I'm sure of this because I've seen the foto: my father was dressed in the traditional Delta costume of an Okpo, a Stetson, and a flowing wrapper draped across his shoulders. He was what you would refer to today as a lekpa or a letter ai. The Great Zik just stood there, a smile planted on his face as though captivated by the fiery calls for the creation of a Midwest state being made by the young 'un before him.

But my father said that the Great Zik of Africa was very creative in the articulation of his political manifestoes. He said that Zik had a way of wriggling out of very impossible situations by grafting local lexicons of both Ibo and Yoruba into the Queen's English in such a manner that left his political enemies and admirers speechless. Take this as an example of what my father said the Great Zik did to outwit another great son of Nigerian nationalism, Obafemi Awolowo. In their days as champions of the National Youth Movement, Awolowo had employed all the oratorical antics at his disposal to dissuade Zik from leaving the Movement. When Awolowo was through, all felt that there was nothing left in Zik's bag of themoreyoulookthelessyousee that could in any way hypnotize or mesmerize them. But the Great Zik mounted the rostrum all smiles and smiley. He spoke just a few words, concluding by telling his audience that there was a certain odinmarity in what he proposed to do. At this, my father said there was some silence, a long silence as people seemed to be in a trance, considering what the great Zik meant by odinmarity of what he proposed to embark upon. When they actually recovered from this unusual fusion of local lexicons to express the expediency of his move from the NYM, the Great Zik was already walking away, with the ululation Zik! Zik!! Zik!!! rending the air. Unfortunately for the great Zik of Africa his kinsmen were not all that impressed with his oratorical prowess, preferring that he did the same kind of magic with the development of the East as with the development of an ingenious lexicon.

We should not visit the actual verse and chapter of the book of life to be reminded of that paradox that has it that out of the bounty of the heart the mouth speaks. A speech by a leader or one who aspires to lead should galvanize: it should inspire confidence in all who listen to it and chart a course of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. Words in a speech by a leader or one who aspires to lead are the nail that a carpenter uses to hold the various curves and dimensions and the consciousness of his people together. When a real leader opens his mouth to speak to his people something gives.

As far as I can remember, there have been leaders who have led their people not with guns or with subterfuge but with the words that come out of their mouths. What all the other institutions of government do is ratify the words of these leaders. Churchill egged his people on with his mouth when the Luftwaffe reduced London to rubble. The words of a Kennedy, a Lincoln and Roosevelt today remain etched in the hearts of men and on marble and people use them as a compass to chart political courses or use them to hoodwink the simple. It was the words of a Chairman Mao or a Kim Il Sung that established the philosophical framework upon which the former lambkins of Asia stood on to grow into what we know today as the Asian Tigers.

Perhaps this was the cue I needed to hold in very high esteem, any leader who could ordinarily express himself in abecedarian terms - abecedarian terms to mean that no matter who that leader is, his ability to use his voice as a tool to express the soul and spirit of his people and of unborn generations is a determining factor in how far this leader may inspire. Let me state it as a matter of fact that any one who aspires to lead and is unimaginative in the way he deploys his words is nothing but a fluke. Words are living organisms and have powers we are yet to imagine. And over the years, believe me, we never really have had a leader whose words edify us.

I have listened to Flight Lieutenant Rawlings before and after his sojourn in the corridors of power and I wished he was Nigerian. I have heard Martin Luther speak and all of those times, my blood gets refreshed and cleansed from the impurities that we often listen to in our country. Even Adolf Hitler, even Mussolini and even a little of IBB had the gift of making even stones come alive with words. That is the problem that I have with those who aspire to lead and are leading now. Some being the hallow shells that they are, when they open their mouths we hear all sorts of garbage and barb. There is nothing edifying or ennobling or rejuvenating or inspiring or dignified in the things they say. The words we often hear from leaders from other lands edify and rejuvenate and inspire and dignify but those from this country lead us to a point when they devalue our psyche. Take for example how Chairman Mao's words in China became known as Maoism, the words from our leader's mouth have aptly been daubed Babaism in tandem with the very low esteem that they project our national patrimony. It is a sad thing. My suggestion in this wise is not for our leaders to manufacture their own lexicon simply because they want to floor political opponents; our leaders should sometimes try to reach deep down in the recesses of their souls and speak to us with some respect. It is also important that those who have an interest in rulership employ language experts as chaperons if they are deficient in that area, to clean them up a little bit before they meet us.

from: Chanos Blog

Generally, one of the most first-class features of choosing digital photography is that its convenience. Apart from the fact that digital cameras are easy to use since they are user friendly, these cameras are also portable and you can just safely place it in your pocket anyplace you go.

With digital camera, you can save your time and effort. Digital cameras provide instant feedback once you take photos. It has a review push button to let you see all the photos so you'll be able to choose the best one. At the same time, it has also a erase button for those photos you don't like to keep. In short, you can keep on trying until you get the right photo. Now isn't that great?
Apparently, digital photography has truly paved way for making photography handy and easier at the same time achieving high quality photos. It just shows that there's no other time to choose to digital photography than now.

Keep in mind that acquiring a digital camera should take a lot of consideration. Just like purchasing a car, you have to study all aspects since this is one thing that you want to work well and would want to have for a long time.

Digital photography is rapidly becoming the favourite way to take pictures. If you are in the market for a new camera, look at the next advantages of digital over traditional film photography.
In the long run, digital is less expensive. All photos are recorder are on memory device within the camera and then downloaded directly to your computer. You pass over the need to keep purchasing rolls of film and paying for developing. You can send unlimited copies of the same picture to friends and relatives without spending a cent extra.

You see your pictures quicker. Most digital cameras allow you to see your photos immediately. There is no wait and worrying about whether or not that “perfect shot” turned out. You can take a picture of that new baby and directly download it to your computing device to share your good good news with friends and relatives. There’s no need for anxious grandparents to wait days or even weeks for a picture.

Most photo digital cameras have built in editing features. Cropping and re-centering the picture to make it look its best can be done easily. You no longer have to concern about a stray hand distracting from the main subject of your photo. Sharpening can be done straightaway to bring out the details. Within minutes you can have a print-perfect photo.

You avoid the frustration of running out of film and having to find a shop that is open in the middle of an important event or on vacation. Depending on the size of your storage card and the setting of file size of it and quality, which you often control, you can store a couple hundred pictures on one tiny card. That is the similar of nine or ten rolls of film.

These are just a few of the advantages of digital photography. It is definitely worth considering as you search for your next new camera.

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Julian Catre offers the latest on professional photography equipment, best digital camera reviews and news, deals and coupons on digital cameras and consumer analyzes reviews. Go to http://www.professionalphotographyequipment.net your source for the most comprehensive and informative digital camera reviews and get Julian's “BEST DEAL LIST” emailed to you.

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Here are a few tearsheets of home interiors I shot for Paige Weir, the art director for Avenue Magazine. A few month back Paige brought me on board to shoot interiors for the magazine. I have shot alot of commercial interiors but never really for editorial. Whats the difference? Mainly in editorial work, the scheduled shooting time is very short, so you have to get in, get your photos (make them look good) and get out. This is why working with an experienced art director makes all the difference.

Ed Richards asks/comments:

I am curious about what you have in mind for the M9. What you have been posting for the last few years – since you went digital – does not strike me as M9 material. In fact, my assumption, based partially on my own rangefinder shooting a long time ago, is that the Lecia is a people camera first and last. (Maybe a dog camera as well, but you could not prove that be.)

Ah. Yes. People camera first and last. Yes, that’s the perception, I agree. Rangefinders have a reputation as the ideal ’street photography’ camera. Street photography is, I guess, primarily about photographs of people. And, as Ed observe rather indirectly, I don’t do much photography of people. That’s because, by design, I don’t spend a great deal of time around people, and as a general rule it’s hard to photograph things you don’t spend much time around.

Some of that is, perhaps, an error of Callahanian slant; I have no desire to photograph people, but I’d like a camera with which I might photograph my wife. Or, as Ed points out, my dog. Specifically, I don’t photograph people I don’t know. And street photography is about photographing people you don’t know.

The other part of street photography is the streety bit. Again, by design, my life does not feature a lot of contact with streets. Where I live, we don’t call them streets, we call them roads.

Here’s the thing. Street photography is about making photographs in a situation where you want the camera small and light, because you have to carry it around for long periods. You want it unobtrusive, because you want to avoid the observer effect. And, because the scenes you’re trying to photograph are not just ephemeral, but fleeting and fugitive, you want a camera that handles well, can be operated quickly and with little fuss, and is, above all, responsive.

And by responsive, I mean “when you press the button, the shutter opens”. So you don’t want a camera that, when you press the button, the camera engages in lengthy deliberations about focus and exposure before deigning to open the shutter. You don’t want a camera that, having examined the focus situation, decides the lens is not in focus and refuses to let the shutter open. What you want is “when I press the button, the shutter opens RIGHT NOW”.

And this is because street photographers don’t stand around, camera viewfinder to eye, for hours on end waiting for the arrangement to be right, whereupon they open the shutter. They amble about, and when some quiet inner voice prompts them, they lift the camera to the eye, make any final femtosecond adjustments to focus or exposure, and let the shutter go. And then they go back to letting the camera hang by the strap, or hold it in their hand at their side. Street photography is a subset of what I’ll call ‘impulsive photography’, or maybe ‘intuitive photography’.

Impulsive photography is about feeling the impulse to make a photograph, and having the time needed to get to the point where the shutter opens be very short. There’s no time to get your mind in there, jiggering things up. Now, go read this blog post I wrong back in November 2009.

And that’s why I want an M9. For me, Leica M rangefinders are very much thoughtless cameras. And they are ideal for impulsive photography, even if you are nowhere close to a street filled with people you don’t know.

The talents in the realm of photography have not gone unnoticed, as Sony has been awarding the deserving names since the launch of the Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour in 2007. The annual competition sees more than 60,000 entries submitted from 139 countries, and is open to both amateurs and professionals (judged separately, though). The various genres in which the shots are taken include fashion, architecture, advertising, sport and music and the competitors are judged by a panel of leading figures in the photographic community, such as Christie's Director of Photographs and professionals, Bruce Davidson and Sarah Moon, among others.

This year, the global tour will be making a pit stop in Kuala Lumpur for the very first time, and the exhibition is held at GALERI PETRONAS in Suria KLCC. Malaysian photography enthusiasts and aspiring amateurs will find this a treat and be inspired by the winning shots, as they are truly breathtaking.

At the exhibition, not only will the full series from each winning photographer be on display, but also the images submitted by photography students as part of the Student Focus competition, and the Prince Rainforest Project that was sponsored by HRH Prince Charles.

The director of GALERI PETRONAS, Hartini bt Abdullah says, “As part of our on-going efforts to promote photography as an important art form while providing a rich sensory experience to visitors of all levels, GALERI PETRONAS hopes that through this exhibition, it will inspire and encourage Malaysia's growing talent of photographers of all genres to push boundaries.” Indeed, though this year's winner of the Natural History category is not Malaysian, he's close enough - Singaporean.

The exhibition will run from 4 February to 28 March, and there will be a series of programmes which are open to the public, to educate them about photography.

Here are the events worth checking out:

7 Feb, 11am - 12pm: Understanding Photography: Defining Snapshots, Technicality & Creativity.
21 Feb, 11am - 12pm: Explore Architecture, Discover Heritage
28 Feb, 11am - 12pm: Introduction to Street & Travel Photography
6 Mar, 11am - 1pm: Photo Scrapbooks Made Easy
20 Mar, 11am - 12pm: Thinking Out of the Box
14 & 28 Mar, 11am - 12pm: Automotive Photography

Interested? Admission is free, but you'll need to register and it is on a first come, first served basis so do hurry. Call 03-2051 7770 to register. Visit their site for more information.

Photo Claire Martin & Vincent Fooong, courtesy of GALERI PETRONAS

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The wait is over for Canon fans everywhere with the arrival of the hotly anticipated new Canon EOS 7D . It can't be denied that there are some very competitive rivals out there on the market in terms of both features and price, however the Canon EOS 7D could be just the camera to put Canon right back up there on the top spot. With a list of specifications impressive enough to inspire even the most demanding professional, the Canon EOS 7D is worthy of serious consideration.

The Canon EOS 7D really does boast some impressive features. Designed to fulfil the requirements of the professional photographer, it's no surprise that the precise focus offered by the Canon EOS 7D is hard to beat. Particularly exciting is the inclusion of the 19 point cross type auto-focus system combined with an intelligent sensor system which allows the camera to automatically detect the image subject. This means that even the amateur photographer can be confident in consistently superior results.

When considering upgrading from a relatively simple point and shoot camera to a digital SLR, the prospect of getting to grips with concepts like f-stops and exposure can be pretty daunting. Although going down this route might give you better results than automatic shooting, many digital SLRs do still offer the automatic option. While the Canon EOS 7D really comes into its own with the use of manual controls, it does still feature some really excellent automatic programs.

With an image resolution of 18MP and a 3 inch LCD display, the Canon EOS 7D combines features with functionality. The screen accuracy is superior to that of previous models giving a top quality display. The added feature of a self-cleaning option is particularly useful. With the option to disable if preferred, the filter in front of the sensor can be set to vibrate at high frequency at start-up and shut down in order to remove any dust from the sensor unit.

The Canon EOS 7D is compatible with a wide range of accessories and can be used with both compact flash and microdrive cards, with the additional bonus of optional external storage. Packed with features, the Canon EOS 7D doesn't compromise on style. The magnesium alloy body not only looks good, but is dust and weather resistant, allowing you peace of mind in every situation. With features designed to enhance every step in your journey to sharp, impressive images, the Canon EOS 7D is a serious contender as the tool of choice for the professional photographer. In direct competition with the leading Sony and Nokia digital SLR cameras, this latest offering from Canon can certainly hold its own. Aimed at the professional market, this camera is not at the lower end of the price spectrum. However, if top quality professional images are what you're after, the Canon EOS 7D might just prove itself to be worth every penny.

Sources:
www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09090105canoneos7d.asp
www.engadget.com/…/canon-eos-7d-now-official-is-exactly-what-you-expected/

from: Giannis Blog

We Sell Brand New Nikon Cameras/Canon Cameras/Sony Camcorder & Digital Cameras/Apple Iphone 3GS/Apple Mac Book/Apple Ipod Touch Packed And Sealed In Manufacture Box With 1 Year International Warranty From Manufacture Company In US/United Kingdom:

Fancy yourself as a budding director? Then listen very carefully because we’re going to say this once. We have a Sony DVD Camcorder, portable DVD player and copy of the brilliant The Taking of Pelham 123 which is out now on DVD and Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

© 2009 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Beverly Blvd LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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We swung by Sony's gloomy CES booth to check out their new camcorders and cameras for 2010. Fresh on the Handycam menu were the SDHC-loving CX and XR series camcorders (pictured above), and we saw some nice demos of their Optical SteadyShot (mesmerizing video after the break) and wide angle G lens. The tapeless AX2000 professional video camera was also present further down the table, sporting dual memory card slots. On the other table we encountered the Bloggie and the rest of the 2010 Cyber-shot lineup in several colors. Aww, what a sweet family.

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With the coming of age in the Flash arena, Actionscript 3 has opened many doors. AS3 is “almost” a fully OOP (object oriented programming) language and gives programmers true flexibility and power when working with Flash objects, animations, data, external assets, and all that exists in the RIA (rich interactive application) development world. With all this power, speed of the application is a major issue which is why one should attempt to stick to a few guidelines or best practices.

Minimize functionality in the constructor:
The constructor is the function or method that “defines” a new object. Generally parameters will be passed into the constructor and will get stored as private fields or variables. Try to avoid any functionality inside this instantiating method because the compiler does not optimize any code that lives inside the constructor. Set your private variables from the parameters passed into the constructor, then pass off the next steps in your sequence to a different method like init(); that will get optimized by the AS3 compiler.

Shorthand instantiate new arrays:
The standard for creating a new array is defined as using the new keyword such as this: var retArr:Array = new Array(); SWF files are proven to be faster if you declare it as a new array using brackets such as this: var retArra:Array = [];

Avoid using the UINT class:
Actionscript 3 introduced a new class called UINT which acts like an Int (Integer) and only allows 0 and positive non–decimal numeric values. However, usage of this class is painfully slow and can cause many headaches when trying to iterate over many values. Use this class sparingly and if you need a positive numeric value only, cast it to an Int, check if it is less than 0, and if it is - multiply the value by -1.

Avoid using the Point class:
The Point class merely holds two values that represent the coordinates x and y. This class, although tempting to use sometimes when that is exactly the two elements you want to store, is also excessively slow and can be replaced by a custom class with two variables x and y.

Using Events - don't doing it, act on it:
In many scenarios, a single action needs to be heard by multiple elements. For example, if you click on a NavItem object, you might want alter the color of that newly selected NavItem. Not only that, but you want all other NavItems to alter their own color to the original “non-selected” state color. By dispatching an event that all NavItems can hear not just itself, all NavItem objects can alter their own state accordingly. If you were to listen to the Click Event of that item and just change its own state then no other NavItems can change their own states. Therefore, on the Click Event, you should dispatch a global event then merely act on it instead of doing the action.

from: Makkapitews Weblog
Cedros Site

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom Review

I make movies from this camcorder in good result, but feel snapes with noice. I think it’s not too much resulation. If you can spend more mony then you buy high resulation Panasonic or Sony camcorder else it’s enough choice in your budge.

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom Feature

• Features powerful 30x optical zoom and up to 1000x digital zoom
• Advanced Optical Image Stabilizer eliminates blurry images caused by hand-shake
• 1/6-inch CCD, Pure Color Engine, MPEG2 Engine produce, and Leica Dicomar lens combine to produce outstanding color and detail
• Records directly to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs; includes SD card slot for additional storage of digital stills
• 0 Lux Color Night View feature lets you shoot in complete darkness

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom Overview

Panasonic’s vision of the digital future is driven by the needs and aspirations of its business customers and millions of consumers around the world who use its products every day. The company shares their dream to live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter and enjoying the rewards of technological advances.PRODUCT FEATURES:Powerful 30x optical zoom;High-performance image processing Pure Color Engine;Capture even complex motion with precision: high quality MPEG 2 Engine;Easy viewing on a TV – no cables to connect;Choose the media you want with multi-format ease: DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R;Select the recording mode to match your needs: XP, SP, LP Mode;Easy operation with One-Touch Navigation & Joystick Control;Index screen for simple searching: Quick Search & Access with Disc Navigator;Capture crisp, vivid images even in dim lighting: MagicPix.

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom Specifications

With the Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD camcorder with 30x optical zoom in your hands, you’ll have some of the most exciting technologies to be found anywhere in a home-video camcorder. Featuring a powerful 30x optical zoom, an advanced optical image stabilizer, and Panasonic’s pure color engine and MPEG2 engine, the VDR-D200 will give you the results and performance that have previously only been possible in professional camcorder systems.

A Powerful 30x Optical Zoom
With one of the most–if not the most–powerful zooms offered in any home-use camera, the VDR-D200 will make those distant images you’ve long been craving to record yours for the asking. While many camcorders can offer 30x of digital zoom or more, the image degradation of digital zoom renders most distant images virtually unrecognizable. Digital zooms basically enlarge the dots at the center of the image, producing grainy images. In fact, the larger the zoom, the grainier the image. An optical zoom, on the other hand, not only offers magnification without the image degradation, it also focuses quickly, so you’re ready to shoot right away. (But if you really insist on zooming in on your distant subject, the VDR-D200 also has the ability to achieve up to 1000x in digital zoom mode.) And while cameras with high-powered zooms typically require a big and complicated lens, the VDR-D200 is light and compact enough for you to carry with you easily.

Reducing Hand-Shake with Panasonic’s Optical Image Stabilizer
Anyone who has ever recorded home video knows how difficult it is to take perfectly stable shots. Hand-shake is one of the biggest problems with home video. Panasonic has created a unique solution to this problem–an optical image stabilizer system that corrects the problem before the CCD imaging stage, so that it has virtually no effect on image resolution or field of view. With this one-of-a-kind system, you’ll get automatic hand-shake correction every time you shoot.

Panasonic’s Advanced Color Engines and High-Quality Optics
At the heart of the system is a 1/6-inch CCD, Panasonic’s innovative Pure Color Engine and MPEG2 Engine that together offer superb color reproduction and performance. In short, the Pure Color Engine converts the CCD output signal from a complementary color signal into an RGB signal at an early stage and extracts the low-frequency luminance component from the RGB signal. This innovative process will help you achieve superb color reproduction for all your shots, including your high-zoomed pictures. Panasonic’s MPEG2 engine is a wide-range, high-precision search engine that produces smooth, beautiful motion pictures. By using the same variable bit rate technology that Panasonic developed for its high-end Diga DVD recorder, the MPEG2 engine will enhance your LP recordings with nearly twice the resolution captured with standard video cameras.

But none of this technology would be worth a hoot if Panasonic didn’t outfit the VDR-D200 with some of the finest optics you’ll find in any camcorder. Leica AG of Germany is the manufacturer of fine cameras and lenses revered by generations of photographers. The Leica Dicomar lens featured in the VDR-D200 was developed specifically for digital video cameras. Drawing on Leica’s renowned optical technology, this advanced multi-coated lens captures clear, crisp, finely nuanced images with outstanding detail and contrast.

Straight to DVD: No Computer Necessary
One of the VDR-D200’s most exciting features is its ability to record directly to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs. With a DVD-RAM disc, you can record up to tens of thousand times and view your results without any finalizing process. You can also record repeatedly on DVD-RW discs. While you can record only once on DVD-R discs, they can be played back on almost any kind of DVD player or recorder. The camcorder automatically finds a blank section on the disc for recording. You never need to search for blank disc space, and there’s no worry about recording over a previous recording by mistake. With this versatility, you’ll have the option of recording on whichever kind of disc works best in your DVD player or recorder.

With DVD’s high-speed data transfer, you can dub your recordings–even large volumes–quickly and easily onto a DVD video recorder’s hard disk drive for the editing process. You can also do some polished editing using just the camera itself. For example, you can delete scenes right on the spot or change the scene sequence to create your own scenarios. It’s also easy to change the sequence of the scenes you’ve recorded, and then play them back. And the camcorder’s USB 2.0 compatibility means that you can upload a motion picture data to a PC at high speed over a single USB cable. Even if your PC has no DVD drive, you can transfer the data to a PC seamlessly and quickly.

The Finer Details
The VDR-D200 has a shutter speed range of between 1/60 and 1/3000 second. With a 0 Lux Color Night View feature, you can shoot video in total darkness. This function shoots four frames per second using the LCD monitor as a light source. Pictures are clear and sharp, thanks to the hand-shake compensation provided by the O.I.S. Light from the LCD is gentle and easy on the eyes, so you can snap shots of sleeping children without waking them up. Automatic functions, such as several scene modes, make it easy to take the perfect video shots, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor makes it easy to keep track of your subjects. A built-in stereo microphone lets you record in Dolby Digital stereo, giving your movie a true-theater touch. The VDR-D200 also lets you capture still images at a resolution of up to a remarkable 1640 x 480 pixels. An SD Card slot for additional storage of your stills is included.

What’s in the Box
VDR-D200 camcorder, battery pack, AC adapter, strap, AV multi-cable, USB cable, lens cap, and software CD-ROM.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

Related Products

• Olympus Stylus FE-210 7MP Digital Camera with Digital Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom

Customer Reviews

SV – S.V – USA
So far I am quite satisfied with the camera’s performance. I have taken many still shots with satisfactory results. Video footage of sporting events with very good results. Also I found it pretty easy to transfer videos to my PC.

It takes bad pictures…… – Jane Eyre Supergirl – Augusta, GA!
I was so excited to buy a camcorder that recorded straight to DVD AND took pictures…….Well, the picture quality is AWFUL! I have gotten maybe 20 nice pics out of over a 1000……..The problem is its SO low in pixels. We hear about 5MP cameras and up, this camera has less than 1MP!!!! I bought this before I knew anything about megapixels……..You have to have 5 or more for the prints to be decent. All of my prints from this camera are bad! And they are only good for email. That’s it. The camcorder capabilities are fair. My problem is that it doesn’t work well on the computer, and it does NOT play immediately in all dvd players. You HAVE to buy the very expensive RAM discs for editing….Overall, I definitely would NOT buy again and I would not reccommend to a friend. I wish I had spent all that money on something else…..

Good buy for the money – Short Poet –
I purchased this camcorder with the express intention of capturing every single football game that my sons’ have played. This fulfilled that, what sold me on this particular model was the 30x optical zoom and the fact that it recorded directly to dvd and could be played back on a regular dvd player.

The only drawback to this system was the editing. The software is very limited, and if you use anything but a dvdram disc you cannot use this editing software, nor can you use any outside software to edit the movies to a greater degree as most software does not support the VRO format most dvd camcorders record in.

So in short if you are merely looking for a camcorder to record moments directly to dvd and have no aspirations of doing alot of editing, clipping and splicing different scenes together than this is a suitable camcorder, by far one of the best deals for a dvd camcorder as far as ability picture and price. But if you are looking for a device that lets you have more options for editing afterwards I suggest looking at the true digital camcorders available that have their own hard drives as those record in formats that are compatible with the editing software that is on the market right now.

Currently I am still doing my homework trying to decide which digital camera would be the best for me to use, but this was a viable camera to use for their games and came in handy on other occasions as well.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 20, 2010 10:30:05

Recently recommended to a fellow blogger looking for a waterproof HD video camera the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1—perfect for recording your vacations into the wilderness or, in the words of Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid, “under da sea.”

Blog post: “I am in a really big predicament right now just before the holidays. I want a camcorder for Youtube reviews and camping trips but can’t seem to find the best one. My choices are the Flip Ultra HD 120minute model, the Kodak Zi8 or Zi6, Sony Webbie HD, or the Flip Mino HD. I like the Ultra because of the AA battery option but like the Zi8 for the 1080p and SD card storage. I am going backpacking next summer so I need a waterproof camera to and I was thinking of getting a camera that shoots HD instead of buying 2 devices so that could be an option too.”

Comment: Did some research around waterproof HD camcorders: found the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. It’s waterproof, shockproof and dustproof—rugged, I say. Shoots in 720p and takes 12MP stills. Here’s the link at Amazon; it’s reviewed very well.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1, December 21, 2009
By Ken2 (FL) - See all my reviews

Its only waterproof to 10ft, but thats all I need. Its small enough to fit in your pocket fairly easily. The features and menus are well thought out and easy to use. Video quality is very good. As of now, this is the only waterproof pocket size camera with HD video, and Zoom during video. It works well and the quality is great. The picture quality is good as well. Nice sharp pictures. I haven't dropped it yet to check the “shock proof” part of it, but hopefully that goes well. I'm definitely happy with the purchase.

I’ve been looking at the pocket-sized HD camcorder offerings myself, and have taken a look at all you’ve mentioned. Seemed to me that the Kodak Zi8 had the best feature set for the money. Key differentiator for me is that the Zi8 is the only one with an input for an external mic (Amazon page).

Hope this helped! Let me know what you decide. Saw the Zi8 at Target the other day for $179.99; thinking of going back and buying it.

Panasonic announced the availability of the company’s first 64 GB and 48 GB SDXC Memory Cards. The new SDXC Memory Cards, the RP-SDW64GG1K (64 GB) and RP-SDW48GG1K (48 GB) are Panasonic’s largest-sized Gold cards with Class 10 speed specification.

Featuring new advanced Super Intelligent Controller helps to improve the reliability of the card and extend its lifetime. The new 64 GB and 48 GB SDXC Memory Cards will be globally introduced in February 2010.

SDXC is the next generation SD Memory Card, a new standard for storing data more than 32 GB and up to 2 terabytes. The Panasonic 64 GB SDXC Memory Card features a massive 64 GB of capacity, making it ideal for recording AVCHD High Definition video, high-resolution, or even RAW still photos.

When used with Panasonic’s camcorders, such as the Panasonic HDC-TM10, the 64 GB SDXC Memory Card can record up to 8 hours and 30 minutes of video, while recording in the highest video quality in HA mode. Or when recording in 1920 x 1080i in HE mode, the SDXC Memory Card can hold approximately 27 hours and 30 minutes of video.

The 48 GB SDXC Memory Card will have nearly the same capacity as a dual-layer Blu-ray Disc, and can hold 6 hours and 20 minutes of HD video content recorded in HA mode and 20 hours and 20 minutes when recorded in HE mode.

With the Class 10 speed specification and maximum data transfer speed of up to 22MB/s, the new Panasonic SDXC Memory Cards allows users to enjoy superb performance when using with an HD camcorder or a digital interchangeable lens camera, such as the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1, for high-speed burst shooting when taking still photos.

The 64 GB and 48 GB SDXC Memory Cards, along with other Panasonic GOLD line Memory Cards, provide longer lifetime, thanks to the adoption of Panasonic’s newly-developed Super Intelligent Controller, which evolves the current Super Intelligent Controller used in the Silver line Memory Cards.

With the new Super Intelligent Controller, flash memories are automatically refreshed with error corrections, thus preventing data damages and providing longer lifetime.

The new SDXC Memory Cards include a new technology designed to minimize accidental corruption caused by a power interruption, such as the Memory Card being removed while data is being transferred. Panasonic’s SDXC Memory Card robustness is reliable even under severe temperature condition from -25°C to 85°C.