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In the BetterPhoto photography forum, great questions on the art and craft of photography flow in at a rapid, non-stop rate. The following are the photography questions that have been asked most recently. Browse the questions below to see which photo topics have most recently been posted in our photography forum.
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April D. Pilley
Contact April
April's Gallery
naturalabstract.com
member since: 5/17/2006
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1
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Deluxe Site and Contests
I recently upgraded to a Deluxe Site and am very, very happy with it. The only question I have is can I still enter the contests with a deluxe site. I know the badges transferred over when I uploaded them from the old one to the new one but didn't see any place to enter contests from deluxe admin center.
11/19/2009 5:06:07 PM
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Andrew Tattersall
member since: 11/17/2004
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digital software
I live in Canada and I'm looking for Photoshop CS4. Does anyone have any suggestions where to buy an affordable copy. Andrew T
11/19/2009 10:11:19 AM
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Clayton T. Williams
Contact Clayton
Clayton's Gallery
claytontwilliamsphotography.com
member since: 9/16/2006
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Changing membership level
I currently have a deluxe and pro site that are about to expire. I am keeping th pro site but am going to downgrade to a basic site instead of the deluxe to cut a few costs. Is there a way to do this so I won't lose the photos that are already uploaded to my deluxe site?Travis
11/19/2009 3:40:14 AM
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Hi Travis: Thanks for your question! All of your images that have been uploaded to your web site are also located in your BetterPhoto member center under your Better Photos tab. If you decide to go with a Basic, all of your images are still there, ready to be posted in your Basic gallery. You won't lose your images. The difference, however, is you can only post up to 1,000 images on your Basic as opposed to unlimited images on your web site. I hope this helps! Please feel free to email me at amy@betterphoto.com if you have more questions. Thanks!
11/19/2009 2:12:04 PM
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Adrian Scholes
Contact Adrian
Adrian's Gallery
member since: 6/1/2007
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Finding comments on my pics
Hi. I'm new here and this may be a dumb question, but...I've received a few emails today, leeting me know there have been discussions on pictures in my gallery. I can obviously click on the link in the email to see the comments, but I can't find a way to see all comments from the member center. I want to make sure I thank the folks who are commenting.
11/18/2009 4:03:18 PM
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Hi, Adrian, Go to you gallery, click on any pic and look for the link "Discuss this photo" or "Read photo discussion" depending on whether a comment has been posted yet. By the way, very nice nature studies in your gallery! Cheers, RK
11/18/2009 4:45:14 PM
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The easiest way to thank people for comments is to just respond to the discussion on the photo itself. By the way, you may be new to betterphoto but you definitely aren't new to photography. You have great work, composition and color in your gallery. Travis
11/19/2009 3:37:17 AM
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Another way of thanking folks is to go to their gallery, comment on one of their photos, and thank them. Or, hit their contact button and say thanks. For me personally, I don't usually return to a photo to see if the photographer commented on my comment. Just don't have enough time in my day. :-) And I agree with Clayton...you have some great shots!
11/19/2009 3:59:52 AM
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Thanks everyone. I appreciate you taking the time, and I definitely appreciate the kind words about my photos. I'm looking forward to spending more time on here, and browsing the excellent galleries. Cheers,
Adrian
11/19/2009 7:14:19 AM
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Gina Cormier
Contact Gina
Gina's Gallery
member since: 6/4/2008
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MAC or PC 32bit or 64bit
I am curious as to what people prefer in a computer and processing? Do people have a MAC or PC? Do you have 32 bit or 64? Do you have a dedicated computer for your photography or not?I think I am out-growing my computer and wanted some imput.
:-) Thanks.
11/18/2009 10:00:58 AM
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This could become a very interesting discussion. =^0 I have both PC and MAC. I use the PC most of the time because of the $$ invested in software. Photoshop and Lightroom2 work very well on my 64-bit PC. I also have Lightroom3 beta on an iMac. It works quite well there, too. It is 32-bit and modest RAM but still fairly quick. Preference? I am working toward a dedicated system for photography, probably when I upgrade to the release version of LR3. It will be a MAC, assuming I can transfer the platform for most of my software licenses. But ... I'm not convinced that one is seriously better than the other. Yeah, Windows can be a pain, but MACs are comparatively more expensive. Whichever you choose, get a good monitor. Just my 2-bits. Cheers, RK
11/18/2009 1:12:54 PM
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Hi Gina,
Both my 24" IMAC & 15.4" Macbook Pro are Duo-core Intel machines (2.4 & 2.1 GHZ processors) - 64bit with 4 GB RAM on each machine. I would love to get the new 27" Quad-Core IMAC but my current IMAC works so well that I dont have any real need to upgrade and may not for a few years to come.
My IMAC doesn't have a lot of extra programs loaded on it because I use it primarily for my photography. My Macbook Pro has a few more programs & Apps loaded as I use this for travel & fun and as a temporary storage/upload device (w/LaCie & Iomega Firewire External portable hard drives) for my photography & travels on the road.
On my trip to Europe in 2008, I only took a 500GB Lacie Rugged drive & some blank DVDs because I knew there were 11 other photographers joining me for the trip, so I just borrowed their MACs to download my photos from my CF cards onto my hard drive & burn a copy of the raw files to DVDs. I didn't care about emails or phone calls while on this trip so I purposely turned myself OFF to outside electronic devices :) Just Photography & Beer :D R.K.
I was going to transfer my license for CS2 from PC to MAC but after downloading a trial version of CS3, I decided to just buy it outright and keep my CS2 PC version in case I ever needed it (which I probably never will). Most software companies are pretty good about switching software platforms for cheap or even free. Outside of CS3, I only use PhotoMatix (by HDRSoft) along with Topaz Adjust & Noise Ninja plug-in filters. I may get Lightroom if I start doing lots more weddings or have a need for faster post-processing but for now I am just fine with PS. I just love my MACs. It was a constant PITA using PCs and I went through 3 laptops in 4 years with the last one dying and taking 800 photos with it - I had not backed them up yet when the the internal HD got fried. What an excruciating lesson that was.
I have no idea how it happened but I went to get yet another PC (a desktop this time) I just got a sick feeling in my stomach and told the salesman - Get me that 24" IMAC. I have been so happy ever since. I am also running everything with Firewire. I have 4 Iomega external Hard drives that are firewire/stackable/that provide additional firewire ports and I also have a Sandisk Firewire CF card reader which can download a 4GB card to 2 different drives at the same time in about 5 minutes.
I still have to work on PCs (combo Windows/UNIX boxes) at my day job and they are a daily reminder why I love my MACs so much :D
One more thing Gina, MACs last a long time, I have several friends that are using the same MacBook Pros and G4/G5 MACs they bought several years ago..
Have fun at the Apple Store,
Carlton
11/19/2009 1:25:51 PM
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Jeff L. Harwell
Contact Jeff
Jeff's Gallery
member since: 5/16/2008
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Macro Focusing Rails
Does anyone use a macro focusing rail? If so, what kind and do you like it? I love macro work and currently have a Giottos MH7001 head with the 631 quick release long plate, which I thought was good for macro focusing but it's not very smooth. I'm looking at upgrading to a lighter ballhead and tripod for field work (the MT9360 & MH7001 combo is HEAVY). I would appreciate any suggestions on better working macro focusing rails.
11/17/2009 11:27:54 AM
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Hello Jeff,
Macro rails have been on my list for a long time but I always seem to find something else to spend the money on.
I have recently been looking at the Really Right Stuff macro rails - http://reallyrightstuff.com/rrs/items.asp?Cc=MACRO&Bc=
The RRS are very light and look very functional. I may get a RRS macro rail after I upgrade from a 100mm to a 180mm macro lens :)
Good Luck,
Carlton
11/17/2009 11:48:15 AM
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Thanks Carlton! I don't think I've ever posed a question that you haven't answered..lol.. You are a WEALTH of information!! I was actually looking at getting the Giottos MH-1302 ballhead with the MH-656, -657 or -658 quick release plates. They seem to have the ability to make very minor adjustments, which may be all I need at present (and they're lighter than what I have now, plus they aren't terribly expensive). I just bought a house with my girlfriend, so I don't want too cheap, but I can't afford the Really Right Stuff ballheads (yet..haha) - but I will definitely check out their rails. I'm at that point now where I'm all confused - trying to focus on TOO many different areas of photography (close-up, landscape, kids, etc..). I need to narrow my focus, find my niche and get the equipment to support that niche. It's getting very drab here in the Northeast - a lot of the color is gone, so I'm turning my focus to indoor close-up/macro work, which I love anyway. Photography can be so overwhelming sometimes..haha.. Thanks again, Carlton, for all your help!!!!!
11/18/2009 5:28:31 AM
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Focusing rails are very helpful with a stationary subject. I have a very old one that I bought from a guy for 20 bucks. It's not something I would spend a lot of money for unless you will be doing a lot of stationary macro work.
11/18/2009 1:49:12 PM
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Meghan Gonski
Contact Meghan
Meghan's Gallery
member since: 9/7/2007
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Laptops
I havea Dell D620 latitude laptop. It's not very good to see and edit my photos on. I want to by a new laptop. Does anyone have a recommmendation for a type of laptop good for photographers?
I like Windows XP layouts instead of Mac layouts...Thanks!
11/16/2009 6:45:11 PM
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Hi Meghan,
Laptops are not good for editing photos on because of calibration issues and constant lighting changes and even the angle you are viewing the screen can severely affect how an image looks. To perform photo editing, you will need a real desktop machine or attach a monitor that you keep calibrated to ypur laptop.
If I had to choose a laptop, it would be a 17" MacBook Pro as it has a much better layout for using Photoshop. Since switching to MAC 2 years ago, I will never buy another Windoze machine ever again. I went through 3 PC laptops in less than 4 years as they all started out great but quickly declined to the point I couldn't run Photoshop & Bridge at the same time without crashing. Then one thyat was 6 months old had the internal hard drive fail and it ate 800 photos I has just taken before I had a chance to back them up to another external drive. I lost those photos and am still sore over it. My 15.4" MacBook Pro will probably last me 8+ years (as several of my close friends are still using their MBPs that are 8+ years old) and I dont know how long my 24" IMAC will last but this is the machine I would recommend to you. BTW - Apple just released a 27" quad-core IMAC and this is one incredible machine.
If you know anyone with a 24" IMAC, go and play on it for a while and you will see how incredible it is. Plus - you dont have to worry about all the viruses, spyware, and constant updates & firewall crap to protect your machine and even that wont suffice for many Windoze OS. XP=OK, Vista=terrible & the new Windoze 7 has already been ravaged by some terrible viruses that they are still trying to get a handle on.
Please consider a 24" or the new 27" IMAC and 3 months from now, you will be thanking me over & over & over.
Then you can continue using your current laptop for travel, etc..
You cant imagine the joy I experience using my MAC machines. They are fast, easy & NO VIRUSES :D
Good luck with your decision,
Carlton
11/17/2009 1:40:59 AM
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I'll second part of Carlton's message. I switched to a Mac laptop this summer (MacBook Pro 15") after a lifetime of Windows, and am 150% pleased with the both the computer, and especially the screen for my photo editing. (A desktop machine was simply not an option for me, because I now need to edit my photos while on very frequent travel.) Previously I used a Windows (Gateway) laptop, but hooked it up to an external CRT monitor, because the laptop's screen was terrible for displaying accurate colors. Like Carlton, I will not go back to Windows... I only wish I'd made the switch sooner! Good luck!
11/17/2009 4:55:39 AM
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I also use a Mac and agree with everything Christopher and Carlton said. Love my MAC machine and will never go back to Windows.
11/17/2009 11:09:51 AM
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Hi thanks everyone
Carlton, that is one of my main problems right now is the viewing is different from different angles. I have to pick one and stick with it until i'm sore! But I noticed my brothers' Mac has a better viewing range, it looks the same in different angles until a certain point.
I have been thinking of a desktop but I don't know if I' like to be stationary. lol You mentioned a monitor to attach to your laptop, what is that/how it works? are they expensive?
11/17/2009 7:37:26 PM
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You should be able to attach a normal monitor to your laptop with no problem. I have an old Dell laptop that I used to hook up to a desktop monitor. It's not a special monitor if that's what you're thinking.
11/18/2009 1:45:59 PM
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Hi Maghan,
Like Randy stated, you can use any monitor. I used to just leave my monitor cable laying where I placed my laptop so that when I was ready to use it, I could easily attach the cable to the laptop.
You can set up your laptop and configure it for using 2 screens and you can calibrate the external monitor so that it is ready to go whenever you attach the laptop. I used to view my thumbnails in Bridge on my laptop screen and then launch Photoshop on the External monitor for editing my images.
I used this configuration for a couple of years before switching to the IMAC. I also had a base station for my laptop which made all my connections to external hard drives, printers, etc - much easier.
Good luck with your decision Meghan,
Carlton
11/18/2009 6:05:24 PM
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Thanks :)
11/18/2009 7:05:52 PM
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Barbara Helgason
Contact Barbara
Barbara 's Gallery
member since: 1/4/2004
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Flashtube lifespan?
What is the lifespan of a flash tube? I've had the Alien bees B800 flash unit for a couple of years but lately it seems that it is not putting out the same amount of light as it used to. Is that even possible? I assumed a flash tube would just burn out like a regular light bulb, not die a slow death. Do I simply need to replace it or is there something else that I am missing here. The problem started when I moved my unit from my windowless basement to my new studio in an upstairs bedroom where there is lots of natural light. Suddenly I need to use a wide open aperture when using my studio lights. (Alien bees plus my speedlite)
My speedlite seems to have more power that my 800 watts flash unit? I'm confused. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
11/16/2009 5:13:56 PM
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Hi Barbara,
I have used some of the same flash tubes for more than a quarter of a century. So it clearly takes a long time to burn out a tube. I have had one tube just fail, and I have broken one or two. I have not noticed that the power has fallen off. I would assume it has something to do with the new studio; perhaps the walls are darker? I recently tested, for power and spread, a Canon 580 II against a Paul C. Buff White Lighting 1600, and a few other units. The White Lighting, which is about the same power as a Bee 1600, was only about one stop more powerful than the Canon. I found that surprising. One more thing: if you are using the speed light to trigger the Alien Bees, that might not be working. Frankly having the Bees slaved to a camera mounted flash usually doesn’t work. The speed light will usually put out an infrared pulse, just before the strobe is triggered. This often triggers the slaves, making them trigger too soon. The red-eye reduction creates the same sort of problem.
Thanks, John Siskin
11/20/2009 4:04:19 PM
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Thank you, that's very helpful, you've given me alot to think about. I think you might be right about the Bees somehow being triggered too soon, and somehow this is related to the new location. Thanks again, Barbara
11/20/2009 5:09:06 PM
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Hi Barbara,
Problems with syncing speed lights and monolights are very common in my classes. You might want to look at this article for more on sync: www.siskinphoto.com/magazine/zpdf/sync.pdf
Thanks, John Siskin
11/20/2009 5:20:33 PM
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Kathy Wesserling
Contact Kathy
Kathy's Gallery
member since: 4/21/2005
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Unless you're wanted by the Law....
is there any reason why you don't list your home area in your profile, as well as the location and/or the name of the place in your images?I (and most of the other members) don't plan to overrun your secret favorite photo-site stashes or to 'steal' your favorite subjects. But, I really do love to learn where all the beautiful scenes that you share are located. We live in such a beautiful world, it's a shame not to appreciate the locations of that beauty. Btw, this was written with 'tongue in cheek'. I don't take lightly that some people have stalker or relationship horrors to deal with - but, if those are not your situations, couldn't you be a little more open?
11/16/2009 5:05:06 PM
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I'm with you on this Kathy..I asked the same question a couple of years ago and about got my head bitten off. Nobody wants their address, but the town and state they live in might be nice. I am always wondering where people are from.
11/17/2009 2:31:10 AM
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I agree as well. I understand the need to be cautious about where you live, especially if you're in the habit of posting photos of your grandkids, but a state would be nice. Locations where photos are taken, though, would be very helpful (well, maybe not a macro :-). If one of my photos encourages someone else to go where I've been, I'm thrilled -- that's one of the reasons I posted it!
11/17/2009 5:21:09 AM
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Yep to both of you. It really drives me nutz when State Tourism Sites don't identify pictured places! It's a selling point! As to kiddie-pix.... That is one major issue, for sure. My ultra-smart niece refuses to buy those new postage stamps with her girls' pix on them. Putting them on an envelope with a return address is an invitation that doesn't need to be issued.
11/17/2009 5:50:23 AM
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Usman Bajwa
Contact Usman
Usman's Gallery
member since: 4/11/2006
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Number of Finalists have increased
Just wanted to share the attached graph on the trend of No. of Finalists awarded each month. These are approximate figures from August 2008 when I started to keep a track of the same. The signs are encouraging as there seems to be a welcome hike in the Finalists awarded in the last couple of months. Good Luck all.
11/15/2009 11:44:15 PM
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Has BP changed its Finalist Award modus operandi in selecting the Finalists? Would like to know your thoughts on the probable reasons for the jump. I sure hope that this trend continues.
11/16/2009 12:23:32 AM
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This is the way it used to be..Then they cut them way back and probably got a lot of complaints...justified, I think...giving a few more finalists costs them nothing and makes the contestants a bit happier. So this is a good thing.
11/16/2009 2:30:44 AM
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Usman - thanks for compiling. I believe the total number of entries per month has been declining over the same time period that you demonstrated in your graph. Taking it one step further, I bet if you did # of finalists per month divided by # of entries per month (as a %), you'd see that the % of entries that make it to finalists spikes even more in the last few months.
11/16/2009 6:21:14 AM
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When I first joined BP in 2006, the percentages were pretty steady, around 3.5%. They'd have 700 to 800, out of 20,000+ entries. Then in 2008, the entries went up, and finalists went down, such that the percentages were 1.5 to 2%. Now, it's back up to what it used to be in 2006/2007. I think the percentages were even higher before I joined..upwards to 6 to 8% according to one BPer that has been on the site for some time.
11/16/2009 6:43:03 AM
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BP Statistics
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Thanks Carolyn, Ryan and Ken for your insights and historic details on the contest. Ryan, see the attached graph on percentages. Ken's estimates look very close to the actuals. Another question that just came to my mind...I noticed that fellow BPers got more than one Finalist in a particular category for that month. Is there a limit on how many Finalists someone can get in one category each month? There are so many other questions about the contest that comes to mind. I hope BP would at least come forward and at least let us all know the actual number of contest stages, like EP, Quarter Finalist, Semi Finalist, Finalists, etc.
11/16/2009 7:43:00 AM
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I was not able to note the Feb 09 and April 09 total contest entries. But by the look of things they both should be between 2% to 2.5%....!
11/16/2009 7:46:04 AM
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BP never addressess the subject. Yes, you can have more than one finalist in a category in the same month. You're not supposed to be able to have more than one winner in the same category, but that one seems pretty much kicked to the curb.
There are (or at least were) 4 rounds.. RunnerUp(EP) round, Semi Semi finalist, semi finalist and finalist. We used to be able to watch them (without permission, of course) but then people started complaining to BP about why was theirs eliminated, so they block the rounds now with the exception of the EP round. Maybe they could consider adding a little 2 and /or 3 to the EP button, designating that the photo has made it to the next round, but I don't look for that to happen any time soon.
11/16/2009 11:24:55 AM
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