Well, this is the last week of our online Photography class in the virtual world of Second Life. It has been quite a trip...an enjoyable one, at that.
Last week we finished our group work on the news article. It was interesting to see how other group members worked. Our team leader Stiletto was an excellent leader and was able to help keep us straight on what we were to do for our assignment. We submitted things for each other to critique and then we posted our final photograph and inside magazine cover for her to submit for our group. She had everything turned in right after class on Monday, so we all got credit for the assignment. Our group really did appreciate all of her effort as our fearless leader.
Last Monday we went to Cae's Swept Away Studio after class and enjoyed seeing her wonderful photography in Real Life and in Second Life. She also has two other floors which display the photography of others in Second Life. Then on the third floor there was a surprise birthday party for our teacher. Cae had a big birthday cake and played "Happy Birthday" for the occasion.
This week we are to pick out six of our photographs that have been submitted over the summer sememster. Last night after class I was able to choose the six photographs to submit. Then this evening I was able to take them into Photoshop to resize them and put them on a blackground that was 512 pixels. After putting the photograph onto the background, there was room to put the title of the picture and our name.
I was able to do that and to save the photographs as Jpegs and as Targa files. It seems that Second Life prefers Targa files, according to some professional photographers that I have met in Second Life. That was easy enough.
Then my character Texanna went into the Sandbox at the T.S.T.C. classroom area and created some canvasses. She learned that is is important to have the desired canvas size before putting on the texture (photograph that was uploaded to Second Life). So I had to delete the first ones and then make one that was sized as large as I wanted it. Then I made copies by holding down the Shift key and dragging another one to another place. I went ahead and made seven copies and saved the original as a blank canvas. Then I put the Photograph "textures" on each one. I put them along the back wall of the Sandbox and added a plaque with "Texanna Schumann" above the group. It feels good to get that much done.
Oh, I just remembered that I need to go back and edit my Photograph objects to "full bright" because the lighting in Second Life is not all that great for photography unless there is extra light on the subject. Our teacher arranged lights to shine on our photographs in our Student Galleries on the Brown Classroom and in the Commons area of T.S.T.C. The lighting was really nice there in the galleries.
Oh, and by the way, our teacher said that he would give each student L$70 to upload photographs, because it costs L$10 for each one...(that is $10 Linden Dollars).
Next Monday we are to gather around the photography that will be displayed in the Sandbox area near our class. I suppose we will critique on the spot, and that will be nice.
Well, coming to the end of the semester is bitter-sweet to Texanna. There have been some wonderful learning experiences inside and outside of class. There were many learning challenges, most of which were very enjoyable. We have enjoyed visitors who have stopped by our class, and feel that we have been enriched by the whole experience of our virtual class in Second Life.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Snapz Photo Studio Camera
Just this week I was revisiting the Snapz Photo Studio on the T.S.T.C. Commons area and noticed some things I had not seen before. For several weeks I had tried taking pictures with the backdrops and so many times I was wanting to move the camera to the right or left, or up and down slightly.
Well, this last time I visited the Snapz Studio I found that the camera was not just for looks, but that it actually had a menu for taking various camera shots.
[10:13] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Say '/7 procamon' to start using the camera.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Pro Cam is now on.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Up arrow: Moves the camera forward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Down arrow: Moves the camera backward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Left arrow: Rotates the camera to the left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Right arrow: Rotates the camera to the right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Left arrow): Moves the camera left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Right arrow):Moves the camera right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Up: Moves the camera upward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Down: Moves the camera downward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Pro Cam is now on.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Up arrow: Moves the camera forward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Down arrow: Moves the camera backward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Left arrow: Rotates the camera to the left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Right arrow: Rotates the camera to the right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Left arrow): Moves the camera left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Right arrow):Moves the camera right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Up: Moves the camera upward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Down: Moves the camera downward
So I found out that the camera does have a menu for moving to get better pictures. I am really glad to know about these features.
Well, this last time I visited the Snapz Studio I found that the camera was not just for looks, but that it actually had a menu for taking various camera shots.
[10:13] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Say '/7 procamon' to start using the camera.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Pro Cam is now on.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Up arrow: Moves the camera forward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Down arrow: Moves the camera backward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Left arrow: Rotates the camera to the left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Right arrow: Rotates the camera to the right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Left arrow): Moves the camera left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Right arrow):Moves the camera right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Up: Moves the camera upward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Down: Moves the camera downward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Pro Cam is now on.
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Up arrow: Moves the camera forward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Down arrow: Moves the camera backward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Left arrow: Rotates the camera to the left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Right arrow: Rotates the camera to the right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Left arrow): Moves the camera left
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Shift+Right arrow):Moves the camera right
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Up: Moves the camera upward
[10:14] N30 Public Camera Model N1A(b) whispers: Page Down: Moves the camera downward
So I found out that the camera does have a menu for moving to get better pictures. I am really glad to know about these features.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
360 degree Surround Background
At last it seems that there may be an answer to the background problems for protrait photography in Second Life. It has been my experience that sometimes the background picture was just not large enough to get the angles that I was wanting. The pose stand quite often is set right in the middle of the background picture, so only close-up bust shots are just about the only choice. It is very hard to get the rule of thirds with the person standing over to one side. Sometimes the ceiling would show if the shot were taken from a low angle. Sometimes the pose stand showed up in full-length shots. I guess the owner of the pose stand could move it up or down, or from side to side, but casual users of a public studio may not have that capability.
Anyway, I was delighted to see a 360 degree surround backgound with even the ceiling and the floor covered. It is an experiment by TeeBee Paris and his friend, who put photographs on large prims and make them into an enclosed box with a clear floor. It was a wonderful experience to be virtually standing in Paris and other places such as a seashore. There was no pose stand in the way and the background was all the way around, so portrait photography could be a great possibility from any angle.
TeeBee and his friend are looking for ways to use this environment and seemed to be happy about the idea of photography being done there. Then the discussion was about permissions for designated ones to be able to use this setting.
I am hoping that this idea can be used for photography in Second Life. It seems almost like a green room that is used in Real Life when a scene can be shot and then another virtual background can be placed into the picture.
Note: There are a couple of pictures showing the 360 degree background with no pose stands.
Just a few days ago I met someone interested in photography.
Anyway, I was delighted to see a 360 degree surround backgound with even the ceiling and the floor covered. It is an experiment by TeeBee Paris and his friend, who put photographs on large prims and make them into an enclosed box with a clear floor. It was a wonderful experience to be virtually standing in Paris and other places such as a seashore. There was no pose stand in the way and the background was all the way around, so portrait photography could be a great possibility from any angle.
TeeBee and his friend are looking for ways to use this environment and seemed to be happy about the idea of photography being done there. Then the discussion was about permissions for designated ones to be able to use this setting.
I am hoping that this idea can be used for photography in Second Life. It seems almost like a green room that is used in Real Life when a scene can be shot and then another virtual background can be placed into the picture.
Note: There are a couple of pictures showing the 360 degree background with no pose stands.
Just a few days ago I met someone interested in photography.
Photojournalism Unit Continued
This is the second week that we are working on the Photojournalism unit. We have an Addedum to Unit 3. Each person in the group is to create three different cover designs using one of our own photos as the main graphic element. Then one design by each group member will be submitted with the final submissions.
The cover is to contain these elements:
1. Title (header)
2. The authors name (by-line)
3. a magazine name
4. either a sub-header or part of the article
5. and a photograph
We are to submit these for the discussion thread on Web CT. Each member of the group is to critique or make comments on each of the designs, incating which one is the most favorable and applicable for the assignment. The final selection is up to each student, who will refine the design based on feedback from group members.
The final submission will be done by the group leader and the elements required are as follows:
1. the article in Word format, which will iniclude the title, author at the top, and URL, and date retrieved at the end.
2. One finished photograph from each group member will be included. The photos will be in jpg format with a size of 800 X 600 or 600 X 800, or as close as possible.
3. A separate Word document with captions for each photo will be included. The caption is NOT to be added to the photo.
4. One finished magazine spread cover design from each group member will be submitted by the leader. The design should be in jpg format, highest quality with a size of 8" wide x 10' high (or in pixels 576 x 720) at 72 resolution.
All materials are to be zipped and submitted to Web CT for Unit 3.
Each team member will be given individual grades for Unit 3. It is important for the materials to be submitted on time.
Well, this afternoon I was working on my submission for the WebCt discussion. I resized the photographs and found captions based on the article. I decided to use a colored photograph instead of the black and white one for the Coke bottles, because the article refers to the carmel color of the drinks promoting resistance to insulin.
The title of our article is "No Calories, Same Taste (and heart risks)" and the sub-title is "Diet Soda linked to same health risks as sugary drinks in bubbly puzzle." It was on MSNBC News Services on 7-23-07.
I can see that this assignment could have some practical applicatons in the real world and in the Second Life magazine. I have really enjoyed going to lots of events in Second Life and it might be a good idea to try writing some articles with accompanying photographs to submit to the magazine. I also go to many events in the real world and from time I have submitted articles to the local news papers. They seem to be happy for local people to submit things. The pay is not all that great, but it is nice to have published articles with byline credits.
The cover is to contain these elements:
1. Title (header)
2. The authors name (by-line)
3. a magazine name
4. either a sub-header or part of the article
5. and a photograph
We are to submit these for the discussion thread on Web CT. Each member of the group is to critique or make comments on each of the designs, incating which one is the most favorable and applicable for the assignment. The final selection is up to each student, who will refine the design based on feedback from group members.
The final submission will be done by the group leader and the elements required are as follows:
1. the article in Word format, which will iniclude the title, author at the top, and URL, and date retrieved at the end.
2. One finished photograph from each group member will be included. The photos will be in jpg format with a size of 800 X 600 or 600 X 800, or as close as possible.
3. A separate Word document with captions for each photo will be included. The caption is NOT to be added to the photo.
4. One finished magazine spread cover design from each group member will be submitted by the leader. The design should be in jpg format, highest quality with a size of 8" wide x 10' high (or in pixels 576 x 720) at 72 resolution.
All materials are to be zipped and submitted to Web CT for Unit 3.
Each team member will be given individual grades for Unit 3. It is important for the materials to be submitted on time.
Well, this afternoon I was working on my submission for the WebCt discussion. I resized the photographs and found captions based on the article. I decided to use a colored photograph instead of the black and white one for the Coke bottles, because the article refers to the carmel color of the drinks promoting resistance to insulin.
The title of our article is "No Calories, Same Taste (and heart risks)" and the sub-title is "Diet Soda linked to same health risks as sugary drinks in bubbly puzzle." It was on MSNBC News Services on 7-23-07.
I can see that this assignment could have some practical applicatons in the real world and in the Second Life magazine. I have really enjoyed going to lots of events in Second Life and it might be a good idea to try writing some articles with accompanying photographs to submit to the magazine. I also go to many events in the real world and from time I have submitted articles to the local news papers. They seem to be happy for local people to submit things. The pay is not all that great, but it is nice to have published articles with byline credits.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Finding My Voice
Well, yesterday I finally found my "voice" in Second Life First Look. My friends have been using their real-live voices for about a week in Second Life. I could get my audio to work, but could not get my microphone to work so that others could hear my voice.
I followed the suggestions of friends who were successful in using their real voice, but nothing was working for me. I was beginning to feel like a "muted" student, and I have had a few of those in my class when I was teaching in public schools.
It was so nice to hear the voices of my friends in Second Life and they were wanting to hear my voice. Some were wondering if I had a Texas accent to go with my name. I kept fiddling with my equipment and even bought a headset especially made for Yahoo Instant Messenger.
The voice was still not working, so yesterday I took my regular microphone and my headset down to my local technician. He was able run a test on the computer at his shop and found that both my regular microphone and the one in the headset did work. That was encouraging.
Then he came to my house and checked them out there. We had to get a flashlight to be sure that the microphone plug was in the right port at the back. I think I had just been guessing...I tried several ports...and was not sure which one was right. He showed me the microphone sign above the correct port. Then he also tried plugging in the headset into the two small ports in the front of my Dell.
He did a test on the microphones to see if they would work on my computer. At first it looked like the headset microphone was not going to work, so he unplugged the cords a couple of times...and finally it worked.
So I paid my technician $20 to get my voice working and I felt that it was worth it. I kept thinking, "I want to get this fixed before the classes are over...and there is just three more Mondays left in the summer semester."
Now, I am happy to be able to speak to my friends and classmates in Second Life and it is good to finally have a real live "voice."
I followed the suggestions of friends who were successful in using their real voice, but nothing was working for me. I was beginning to feel like a "muted" student, and I have had a few of those in my class when I was teaching in public schools.
It was so nice to hear the voices of my friends in Second Life and they were wanting to hear my voice. Some were wondering if I had a Texas accent to go with my name. I kept fiddling with my equipment and even bought a headset especially made for Yahoo Instant Messenger.
The voice was still not working, so yesterday I took my regular microphone and my headset down to my local technician. He was able run a test on the computer at his shop and found that both my regular microphone and the one in the headset did work. That was encouraging.
Then he came to my house and checked them out there. We had to get a flashlight to be sure that the microphone plug was in the right port at the back. I think I had just been guessing...I tried several ports...and was not sure which one was right. He showed me the microphone sign above the correct port. Then he also tried plugging in the headset into the two small ports in the front of my Dell.
He did a test on the microphones to see if they would work on my computer. At first it looked like the headset microphone was not going to work, so he unplugged the cords a couple of times...and finally it worked.
So I paid my technician $20 to get my voice working and I felt that it was worth it. I kept thinking, "I want to get this fixed before the classes are over...and there is just three more Mondays left in the summer semester."
Now, I am happy to be able to speak to my friends and classmates in Second Life and it is good to finally have a real live "voice."
Computer Technology, a fickle lady
Computer Technology can be so wonderful when it works as it should, but it can be like a fickle lady sometimes, too. Just when I think I can count on my computer do do things for me, there is a glitch. Then there has to be a lot of thinking and problem-solving to fix the problem.
Today I am finally able to get into Blogger to create another blog...I have been trying for an hour or more. I count on my computer to help me remember the username and password. Most of the time Blogger will just skip over the sign-in process and go right to the account. But today it knew nothing to help me, so I tried to find my Second Life Computer Log book to see if I had written those magic words and numbers there. I could not find them. I was getting so flustrated, so I took a break and walked with my dog and had lunch. Then I went through the process again and finally had to go into "Edit" personal information to finally access the Blog to make an entry.
Earlier this morning I tried to log on to Second Life and found that it was not working today. I tried going in on the older version without First Voice and found that it was not working either, so I went to secondlife.com to check out the grid status. It showed that it was not working this morning.
While I was there I started looking at some pictures in flickr that had been taken in Second Life and they were pretty interesting. There were also some good tips for taking pictures. One that impressed me was the idea of going into the "Client" tab . (First you have to access that tab by holding down Control + Alt+D.) Then you can go to Client > Character > Slow Motion Animations to slow down an action shot to half-speed. It just plays it in SloMo locally for the user to see, and not in-world for others to see.
This seemed like one of the good things that comes from a less-than-desirable situation of not being able to log on to blog. And I wrote all my vital statistics down in my notebook, so the next time it asks for a username and password, I will have it handy.
I guess we will just wait and see if Second Life is up and going by Sunday evening at 7:00p.m. CST when our group is supposed to meet to discuss our pictures for the news article for the current assignment.
Today I am finally able to get into Blogger to create another blog...I have been trying for an hour or more. I count on my computer to help me remember the username and password. Most of the time Blogger will just skip over the sign-in process and go right to the account. But today it knew nothing to help me, so I tried to find my Second Life Computer Log book to see if I had written those magic words and numbers there. I could not find them. I was getting so flustrated, so I took a break and walked with my dog and had lunch. Then I went through the process again and finally had to go into "Edit" personal information to finally access the Blog to make an entry.
Earlier this morning I tried to log on to Second Life and found that it was not working today. I tried going in on the older version without First Voice and found that it was not working either, so I went to secondlife.com to check out the grid status. It showed that it was not working this morning.
While I was there I started looking at some pictures in flickr that had been taken in Second Life and they were pretty interesting. There were also some good tips for taking pictures. One that impressed me was the idea of going into the "Client" tab . (First you have to access that tab by holding down Control + Alt+D.) Then you can go to Client > Character > Slow Motion Animations to slow down an action shot to half-speed. It just plays it in SloMo locally for the user to see, and not in-world for others to see.
This seemed like one of the good things that comes from a less-than-desirable situation of not being able to log on to blog. And I wrote all my vital statistics down in my notebook, so the next time it asks for a username and password, I will have it handy.
I guess we will just wait and see if Second Life is up and going by Sunday evening at 7:00p.m. CST when our group is supposed to meet to discuss our pictures for the news article for the current assignment.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Photojournalism Group Project
This week we are try photojournalism, and we are to do some group work with other classmates to collect photographs that would illustrate an article such as would be in a newspaper or a magazine.
Our group is rather scattered with two living in the Abilene area, one about fifty miles east and another member many miles further to the east. We realized that it would be difficult to cover a local news story, so we looked for stories on-line.
Also, we did not know everyone on the group. I had met two of the four members, but did not know them very well....and we just had a week to get the project together.....so there was not a lot of time to see what the common interests would be.
We started thinking about food and sports and came up with an article that seems to address the issues of how diet drinks can affect health issues. Our challenge to each other is to see if we can come up with three photograph each, take them to the digital darkroom of Photoshop for processing, and to make captions for each of the three pictures.
We had planned to have our first meeting in Second Life on Tuesday at 7 p.m., but the system was down, much to our dismay. We were able to communicate on the thread for our group that our teacher had started, and we used some e-mail on the webCT to set up another time. We decided to try to meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night. Three of us were able to meet and to come up with a plan of action. We also designated a leader, who took charge and helped us to get organized.
We decided that we would all try to have our three pictures ready by next Sunday evening. We plan to post our three pictures to the webCT by 6 p.m. Sunday so that we will have time to look them over before our meeting in Second Sife at 7 p.m. on Sunday night. At that time we will choose the ones from each member to submit to illustrate the article for the assignment.
I will admit that this task seemed a bit daunting at first, since the committee members were so scattered, we did not know what would interest each other, and to find a subject that all of us could cover in the short amout of time given. Fortunately, we were able to get the ball rolling and it seems like a "do-able" task now.
Now, we just have to get out there and take several photos so that we can process at least three of them, and to caption caption them by Sunday night.
Our group is rather scattered with two living in the Abilene area, one about fifty miles east and another member many miles further to the east. We realized that it would be difficult to cover a local news story, so we looked for stories on-line.
Also, we did not know everyone on the group. I had met two of the four members, but did not know them very well....and we just had a week to get the project together.....so there was not a lot of time to see what the common interests would be.
We started thinking about food and sports and came up with an article that seems to address the issues of how diet drinks can affect health issues. Our challenge to each other is to see if we can come up with three photograph each, take them to the digital darkroom of Photoshop for processing, and to make captions for each of the three pictures.
We had planned to have our first meeting in Second Life on Tuesday at 7 p.m., but the system was down, much to our dismay. We were able to communicate on the thread for our group that our teacher had started, and we used some e-mail on the webCT to set up another time. We decided to try to meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night. Three of us were able to meet and to come up with a plan of action. We also designated a leader, who took charge and helped us to get organized.
We decided that we would all try to have our three pictures ready by next Sunday evening. We plan to post our three pictures to the webCT by 6 p.m. Sunday so that we will have time to look them over before our meeting in Second Sife at 7 p.m. on Sunday night. At that time we will choose the ones from each member to submit to illustrate the article for the assignment.
I will admit that this task seemed a bit daunting at first, since the committee members were so scattered, we did not know what would interest each other, and to find a subject that all of us could cover in the short amout of time given. Fortunately, we were able to get the ball rolling and it seems like a "do-able" task now.
Now, we just have to get out there and take several photos so that we can process at least three of them, and to caption caption them by Sunday night.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
What? Distress the Picture?
Yesterday evening we had our regular class session at the virtual campus of T.S.T.C. with our teacher Mr. Brown. And much to my surprise, he was showing us how to use Photoshop to make our photos look distressed....scratched and torn with a coffee stain. Wow.....
I had worked all weekend trying to get some beautiful pictures of some antique cars and some forgotten things. I had already chosen the ones to submit and had turned some of them into the sepia tone to look older.
Then I heard lesson about how to distress a picture and make it look grungy...I was thinking....how ironic....in our photo restoration class....we took old scratched, torn, and stained photos to make them look whole again....
I was surprised that people would actually WANT to make a picture looked scratched and torn. Anyway, there were some files of some scratch brushes and some torn paper that our teacher mentioned that we should upload to our Photoshop files. He said that we should also use the coffee stain...
I think I was able to upload all the scratch brushes...he said that we could enlarge them to cover the whole picture. He also said that we should vary our scratches and stain...and torn paper look so that no two pictures would look the same. Then they would look like they were manufactured....variation of destruction is the key.
He also said that we should try maybe a couple of our pictures with this technique. So I guess I will do that...It all seems like a waste of a perfectly good picture though....
I guess it is because I remember that in the 50's and 60's we all tried to be so prim and perfect...with our shirt-tails tucked in....Oh wait....there was Elvis....and he broke the rules....maybe that is what all of this is about....just breaking out of the beautiful perfection, and going for the grungy look of some of the younger set....
Well, it is all very interesting....and I guess we will see who can get the most grungy photos this week.....I double dog dare anybody to get grungier than mine are gonna be....lol...at least I will try....
I had worked all weekend trying to get some beautiful pictures of some antique cars and some forgotten things. I had already chosen the ones to submit and had turned some of them into the sepia tone to look older.
Then I heard lesson about how to distress a picture and make it look grungy...I was thinking....how ironic....in our photo restoration class....we took old scratched, torn, and stained photos to make them look whole again....
I was surprised that people would actually WANT to make a picture looked scratched and torn. Anyway, there were some files of some scratch brushes and some torn paper that our teacher mentioned that we should upload to our Photoshop files. He said that we should also use the coffee stain...
I think I was able to upload all the scratch brushes...he said that we could enlarge them to cover the whole picture. He also said that we should vary our scratches and stain...and torn paper look so that no two pictures would look the same. Then they would look like they were manufactured....variation of destruction is the key.
He also said that we should try maybe a couple of our pictures with this technique. So I guess I will do that...It all seems like a waste of a perfectly good picture though....
I guess it is because I remember that in the 50's and 60's we all tried to be so prim and perfect...with our shirt-tails tucked in....Oh wait....there was Elvis....and he broke the rules....maybe that is what all of this is about....just breaking out of the beautiful perfection, and going for the grungy look of some of the younger set....
Well, it is all very interesting....and I guess we will see who can get the most grungy photos this week.....I double dog dare anybody to get grungier than mine are gonna be....lol...at least I will try....
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Visitors
I enjoy going to art shows and photography exhibits in Second Life. I have joined several art and photography groups, so I get notices just about every day. I usually visit two or three each day. Many times I am able to strike up a conversation with someone who is visiting the exhibit, or many times it is the artist or photographer having that exhibit, and if they seem interested, I invite to see my work some time.
There have been several who have come to see my photography exhibits at Sheba and other places. I always invite them to make comments. I have learned a great deal from their expertise. I am trying to learn not to be so thin-skinned when the critique seems to be a little tough. Many times they question me about how I achieved certain looks, and some have said that they wished they could achieve that certain look. Of course comments like that make me feel good.
Then there may be times that the more expert photographer will say what he or she thinks would make the picture better. Perhaps a little more saturation, some burning around the edges, or more contrast.
There have been several people from Sheba Island who have visited. Some of them came to my larger "grand opening of Sheba" exhibit which lasted about three weeks. Many times I invite them over to see the T.S.T.C. student photo exhibit, and they are always amazed at the beautiful campus.
This last Friday I was in the Student Gallery above our classrooom, which is supposed to be a private area. I was a little surprised to notice on my on-screen radar that someone else was on the island. It was not anyone I had remembered seeing there before. (By the way, my friend Lowri Mills gave me the SL perfect HUD, which lists the avatars that are in the area....up to about 90 meters, I believe. This has really helped to know who is behind me, or in the area.)
Anyway, I had just started to do the critiques when I noticed this unfamiliar name. I noticed according to the numbers that the avatar was coming closer. Finally, he was near me and I turned around and introduced myself when he said, "Hello." He introduced himself as someone on the administrative staff from T.S.T.C. in Waco. He said he had not seen the student photography exhibit yet. It had been a while since he had visited the area, he said.
He looked at the exhibits and was interested to see my work, so I showed him my phography for Unit 1. He thought that the Gaylord Texan must be a beautiful place and wanted to take his wife there sometime. He said that he especially liked my photo of the shadow of the lamp on the "pavers," or tiles. That was a little surprising to me, because I thought it was such a simple subject, just the shadow on the tiles. I guess I thought some of the more complicated compositions were better, but I am learning that simiplicity can be compelling.
He also said that T.S.T.C. in Waco has some nice equipment for people wanting to develop games. I understood him to say that Conoco had donated a super
computer that could control other computers, so that rendering of scenes can be done quickly. He also said that they have some Motion Capture (MoCap) equipment, and that was really fascinating to me. He said that the course is being offered this summer, so it might possibly be offered in summers to come.
Anyway, it was a very interesting visit with a V.I.P. from T.S.T.C. in Waco and I was just amazed that he would be that interested to spend a few minutes talking to a student about photograpy. It was very encouraging. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time...to receive a word of encouragement.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Looking for Antiques
This week our assignment is to look for old signs and antique things. I have been at the University of North Texas this week for a play therapy conference, so I have been looking around Denton to find some subjects for the assignment.
On two afternoons I drove around town and was able to find a few things. There was a well preserved bank sign on one of the buildings down town. I found a few antique things that were used for decorations in some yards. I also found an old Gulf sign and an old Ford truck.
Then today I was able to go to the Lela Latch Lloyd Museum here in town to find some antique things. I made several shots there. Then I came home to download and recharge my camera while I had lunch. Afterwards I went to a location which has several antique cars lined up by the road. It was fascinating to see how the old cars were made...and to think about the passengers that may have ridden in the vehicles. Now the only passengers are weeds and a few bugs flying around inside the cars.
I will be looking at the photos more later this evening to decide which ones to submit for the assignment. I have really enjoyed getting out and looking for the "forgotten things."
On two afternoons I drove around town and was able to find a few things. There was a well preserved bank sign on one of the buildings down town. I found a few antique things that were used for decorations in some yards. I also found an old Gulf sign and an old Ford truck.
Then today I was able to go to the Lela Latch Lloyd Museum here in town to find some antique things. I made several shots there. Then I came home to download and recharge my camera while I had lunch. Afterwards I went to a location which has several antique cars lined up by the road. It was fascinating to see how the old cars were made...and to think about the passengers that may have ridden in the vehicles. Now the only passengers are weeds and a few bugs flying around inside the cars.
I will be looking at the photos more later this evening to decide which ones to submit for the assignment. I have really enjoyed getting out and looking for the "forgotten things."
Monday, July 9, 2007
Challenged to Focus
I am being challenged this summer to keep my focus on my school work. There have been so many real life emergencies coming up just about every week. Some have concerned my elderly mother, while others concerned my counseling practice and art studio. There have been many trips to the doctor and rehab for my mother, attestation for my counseling practice, and getting the roof fixed on my art studio that was damaged in a recent storm. Lots of challenges....but I did take time to go to an International music conference at the Gaylord Texan at Grapevine last week, and it was a much-needed respite.
It was a lot of fun to try to find all nine examples for our photo assignment this last week at the Gaylord Texan. I was able to do the Rule of Thirds, Unusual Angles, Lines, Avoiding Mergers, Interesting Shadows, Getting close, Framing, Avoiding Cluttered Backgrounds, and Interesting Reflections. Most of these ideas come fairly naturally to me since we studied most of them last summer in our photography class.
The two that I found most challenging and interesting this time were the reflections and the shadows. I think that having to do this assignment has helped me to see some beautiful things that I probably would have missed. I really looked at shadows, and found many fascinating ones. There were also some reflections, some showing up better in a photograph than others did.
It was a wonderful week at the Gaylord Texan resort. I highly recommend it as a place to take photographs. Even if one were were to just go for part of a day to look around and to enjoy the beauty of the tropical plants under an air conditioned dome. And how refreshing it is just to breathe in the the plant- oxygenated air, and listen to the soothing sound of the many waterfalls.
The pure delight was in taking the photographs with my little camera. I even tried getting some shots of the fireworks over Lake Grapevine on the Fourth of July. Now my challenge is to process the photographs this afternoon and to get them ready for submission of my assignment that is due today.
It was a lot of fun to try to find all nine examples for our photo assignment this last week at the Gaylord Texan. I was able to do the Rule of Thirds, Unusual Angles, Lines, Avoiding Mergers, Interesting Shadows, Getting close, Framing, Avoiding Cluttered Backgrounds, and Interesting Reflections. Most of these ideas come fairly naturally to me since we studied most of them last summer in our photography class.
The two that I found most challenging and interesting this time were the reflections and the shadows. I think that having to do this assignment has helped me to see some beautiful things that I probably would have missed. I really looked at shadows, and found many fascinating ones. There were also some reflections, some showing up better in a photograph than others did.
It was a wonderful week at the Gaylord Texan resort. I highly recommend it as a place to take photographs. Even if one were were to just go for part of a day to look around and to enjoy the beauty of the tropical plants under an air conditioned dome. And how refreshing it is just to breathe in the the plant- oxygenated air, and listen to the soothing sound of the many waterfalls.
The pure delight was in taking the photographs with my little camera. I even tried getting some shots of the fireworks over Lake Grapevine on the Fourth of July. Now my challenge is to process the photographs this afternoon and to get them ready for submission of my assignment that is due today.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Linking and Re-Linking Pictures for Blog
I am finding that if I move my photographs to a different folder, that it takes them out of the blog.
So, I am trying to fix my pictures into folders first, and then to remember not to change them...in order for them to show up in the blog.
I guess it is a matter of broken links...
So now I will have to go back and to relink the three pictures I put in for today.
Live and learn...
So, I am trying to fix my pictures into folders first, and then to remember not to change them...in order for them to show up in the blog.
I guess it is a matter of broken links...
So now I will have to go back and to relink the three pictures I put in for today.
Live and learn...
Photography as a Record of Witness
Last weekend there was a lot going on at the SL Chrisian Mission. Lowri had talked about some attacks that had gone on there....and it just happened that Texanna came by the Mision house on Saturday...and a major attack was going on then.
Fortunately, Texanna had gone to the SL Police station earlier in the day to report an incident that happened at the prayer meeting on Friday. A very ugly little "naked" man showed up and started dancing around on the rug just as the prayer meeting was to get started. Texanna took some pictures of him and later turned them in to the police.
So on the Saturday afternoon when Texanna stopped by the SL Christian Mission house, there were three characters that looked like satanic demons...who were wreking havoc on the place. They had put a very graphic picture up on a large prim in front of the mission entrance. It was sickening....and they were trying to do something to the cross above the mission. They also had something like land mines or something, that kept ejecting Texanna out of the region.
She called on the SL police officer that she had met earlier in the day. This was also happening to the police officer. He kept IM-img Texanna to send him the Landmark. So Texanna kept coming back....and was being ejected....about three or four times. The attackers had fire particles in the air...and all kinds of wierd stuff going on.
Anyway, it seemed to be more than one police officer could handle, so he called for a couple of other officers to help. The attackers were ignoring anything that the police officers said, and continued the attack. Texanna and the police officers took several pictures of the incident.
Anyway, the police officer had to cage the offenders and carry them off. We heard later that the main attacker was suspended from the game for three days.
Lowri then took some steps so that not just anybody could build or put scripts on the property. She gave some powers to the board members so that they could also ban certain players from the place...if they were disturbing the peace, or attacking.
It was a wild week end...and Texanna has pictures to prove it.....lol
Fortunately, Texanna had gone to the SL Police station earlier in the day to report an incident that happened at the prayer meeting on Friday. A very ugly little "naked" man showed up and started dancing around on the rug just as the prayer meeting was to get started. Texanna took some pictures of him and later turned them in to the police.
So on the Saturday afternoon when Texanna stopped by the SL Christian Mission house, there were three characters that looked like satanic demons...who were wreking havoc on the place. They had put a very graphic picture up on a large prim in front of the mission entrance. It was sickening....and they were trying to do something to the cross above the mission. They also had something like land mines or something, that kept ejecting Texanna out of the region.
She called on the SL police officer that she had met earlier in the day. This was also happening to the police officer. He kept IM-img Texanna to send him the Landmark. So Texanna kept coming back....and was being ejected....about three or four times. The attackers had fire particles in the air...and all kinds of wierd stuff going on.
Anyway, it seemed to be more than one police officer could handle, so he called for a couple of other officers to help. The attackers were ignoring anything that the police officers said, and continued the attack. Texanna and the police officers took several pictures of the incident.
Anyway, the police officer had to cage the offenders and carry them off. We heard later that the main attacker was suspended from the game for three days.
Lowri then took some steps so that not just anybody could build or put scripts on the property. She gave some powers to the board members so that they could also ban certain players from the place...if they were disturbing the peace, or attacking.
It was a wild week end...and Texanna has pictures to prove it.....lol
Volunteer Photography
Oh, I just thought I would mention that I have also been doing some volunteer photography at the SL Christian Mission that Lowri Mills, our classmate started.
There are several "newbies" who come to the mission each day, and some of them want help getting a profile picture up. There was one girl who came by the mission a few days ago and I, Texanna, was able to help her with a picture.
Lowi has a pose stand, so I was trying to get the girl to get on it, but she would jump off, just as I was about to take the picture. I also tried building a box, so she could sit on it...and then I was going to tilt it and raise it the height I wanted so that she would look good against the background.
She kept changing her clothes, skin color, and hair style. Finally, she found a look she liked and I just took pictures of her out in the back yard by the koi pond. Lowri has a nice mountain scene in the background.
So I saved the pictures to my hard drive and then uploaded two of them as textures for L$10 each. Then I dropped them into her profile bin. She was very pleased and uploaded one of the pictures immediately.
So, I just mention this so that others know that there are many opportunities out there to do "free lance" photography. And some of it might even be done as volunteer work to help a "newbie."
I also see advertisements of sims wanting photography to be done for special events. I know that several pictures were made at the big 4-year birthday celebration for Second Life...that were done this last Saturday.
I believe that one could stay very busy as a photoghrapher in Second Life, and I want to inivestigate that possibility more....after I get all my assignments done....lol
There are several "newbies" who come to the mission each day, and some of them want help getting a profile picture up. There was one girl who came by the mission a few days ago and I, Texanna, was able to help her with a picture.
Lowi has a pose stand, so I was trying to get the girl to get on it, but she would jump off, just as I was about to take the picture. I also tried building a box, so she could sit on it...and then I was going to tilt it and raise it the height I wanted so that she would look good against the background.
She kept changing her clothes, skin color, and hair style. Finally, she found a look she liked and I just took pictures of her out in the back yard by the koi pond. Lowri has a nice mountain scene in the background.
So I saved the pictures to my hard drive and then uploaded two of them as textures for L$10 each. Then I dropped them into her profile bin. She was very pleased and uploaded one of the pictures immediately.
So, I just mention this so that others know that there are many opportunities out there to do "free lance" photography. And some of it might even be done as volunteer work to help a "newbie."
I also see advertisements of sims wanting photography to be done for special events. I know that several pictures were made at the big 4-year birthday celebration for Second Life...that were done this last Saturday.
I believe that one could stay very busy as a photoghrapher in Second Life, and I want to inivestigate that possibility more....after I get all my assignments done....lol
Job as a Photographer in Second Life
Oh, I just happened to think that some may interested to know that I landed a job as a photographer in Second Life. Yes, Dorothy, the builder of Sheba Island, asked Texanna (me) to photograph her buildings at Sheba and Monkey Island. So, I said that I would help her.
It was a Sunday afternoon about a week ago when I did the photoshoot. Dorothy is very photogenic and so it was a lot of fun to take pictures of her with her buildings. I did some arial views of the whole island, some sunset pictures, and some up close views of the buildings.
I had also been taking pictures of Dorothy as she was working on the sky scraper conference building on Sheba. She liked the pictures very much and gave me L$1000 for the hour or so that I spent with her at the photoshoot. I ended up with more than 200 pictures.
So then I went to Photoshop and put the selected pictures into contact sheets. There were nine of them that I sent to her e-mail address. The nice thing about using the automated contact sheets in Photoshop is that it automatically makes thumbnails and then some pictures that are 72 resolution. Then I put the folder of contact sheets into a zipped file to send to her.
Dorothy said that she received them and she really liked the pictures. She wants to use some of the photographs for a book that she is doing about her builds in Second Life.
Then a few days later I got an IM from Monmakr Allen and he wanted some phtography done for some advertising that he will be doing for Sheba Island. I told him about the pictures I had sent to Dorothy Oyen and he said he would like to see them. So Dorothy said that she would e-mail them to Monmakr. He is supposed to get back with me today after looking them over. He will decide if he wants for Texanna to take more pictures or not.
Anyway, it has been fun doing photography in Second Life. I think I could probably stay busy....and landing a few paying jobs is really nice, too.
It was a Sunday afternoon about a week ago when I did the photoshoot. Dorothy is very photogenic and so it was a lot of fun to take pictures of her with her buildings. I did some arial views of the whole island, some sunset pictures, and some up close views of the buildings.
I had also been taking pictures of Dorothy as she was working on the sky scraper conference building on Sheba. She liked the pictures very much and gave me L$1000 for the hour or so that I spent with her at the photoshoot. I ended up with more than 200 pictures.
So then I went to Photoshop and put the selected pictures into contact sheets. There were nine of them that I sent to her e-mail address. The nice thing about using the automated contact sheets in Photoshop is that it automatically makes thumbnails and then some pictures that are 72 resolution. Then I put the folder of contact sheets into a zipped file to send to her.
Dorothy said that she received them and she really liked the pictures. She wants to use some of the photographs for a book that she is doing about her builds in Second Life.
Then a few days later I got an IM from Monmakr Allen and he wanted some phtography done for some advertising that he will be doing for Sheba Island. I told him about the pictures I had sent to Dorothy Oyen and he said he would like to see them. So Dorothy said that she would e-mail them to Monmakr. He is supposed to get back with me today after looking them over. He will decide if he wants for Texanna to take more pictures or not.
Anyway, it has been fun doing photography in Second Life. I think I could probably stay busy....and landing a few paying jobs is really nice, too.
Changes
Yes, thank goodness......our teacher must have been reading my mind....He did make some changes in the assignments for the next two weeks. We have a Part A to be done one week and a Part B to be turned in the next week. There are specific things to be done for each week. This really does help me a great deal. I think it will be more managable.
Now, let's see, we are having a review of several things that we covered in our on-line basic photography class from last summer. This time we are to do things like showing the rule of thirds, extreme point of view, use of lines, reflections, silhouettes, and a few other things. I am glad we are doing this unit after the very hard unit of Depth of Field. As a matter of fact, it may be good to start with a unit like this for the next time the course is offered. It is good review for all of us to think about these things again.
I really do appreciate the training that we had last summer, and most of it had tutorials that were done with Camtasia....with the audio portion of our teacher talking us through it. I really hope that can be done next year for the Depth of Field assignment. I know that our teacher is extremely busy just getting the necessary things in place for this class pro-type this year. So, it was probably more than he wanted to do for this time, since most students seem to be able to follow the written tutorials.
I did choose one that worked fairly well, but I was not completely satisfied with it. It did not use the alpha channel or the black and white gradient. I did use the lens blur, which blurred everything that was not selected. Anyway, I got the assignment turned in on time last Monday night. I still want to learn how to do the process with the alpha channels and the black and white gradient.
Well, come to think of it, I was able to achieve a fake depth of field with my current profile picture for my blog. I positioned my cartoon character Texanna in front of a tinted glass window that was in the exhibit building. She is on the right third of the picture and the buildings in the background are blurred out just a bit.
I do want to try the process that our teacher recommends for the fake blur...and to try it on some pictures that I take with the Paint program in Second Life. I also want to try to enhance some of those images in other ways in Photoshop. Creating a black and white picture with spot color would be nice to try, and I would also like to try adding some text to the pictures like Cae did for Lowri's profile picture.
Well, for this post, I will try to see what I can find to go along with the current assignment...even though there are already some posted with extreme point of view, etc.
I go to some pretty interesting sims on Second Life....Surely I can find some examples to post for the current review topics.
Now, let's see, we are having a review of several things that we covered in our on-line basic photography class from last summer. This time we are to do things like showing the rule of thirds, extreme point of view, use of lines, reflections, silhouettes, and a few other things. I am glad we are doing this unit after the very hard unit of Depth of Field. As a matter of fact, it may be good to start with a unit like this for the next time the course is offered. It is good review for all of us to think about these things again.
I really do appreciate the training that we had last summer, and most of it had tutorials that were done with Camtasia....with the audio portion of our teacher talking us through it. I really hope that can be done next year for the Depth of Field assignment. I know that our teacher is extremely busy just getting the necessary things in place for this class pro-type this year. So, it was probably more than he wanted to do for this time, since most students seem to be able to follow the written tutorials.
I did choose one that worked fairly well, but I was not completely satisfied with it. It did not use the alpha channel or the black and white gradient. I did use the lens blur, which blurred everything that was not selected. Anyway, I got the assignment turned in on time last Monday night. I still want to learn how to do the process with the alpha channels and the black and white gradient.
Well, come to think of it, I was able to achieve a fake depth of field with my current profile picture for my blog. I positioned my cartoon character Texanna in front of a tinted glass window that was in the exhibit building. She is on the right third of the picture and the buildings in the background are blurred out just a bit.
I do want to try the process that our teacher recommends for the fake blur...and to try it on some pictures that I take with the Paint program in Second Life. I also want to try to enhance some of those images in other ways in Photoshop. Creating a black and white picture with spot color would be nice to try, and I would also like to try adding some text to the pictures like Cae did for Lowri's profile picture.
Well, for this post, I will try to see what I can find to go along with the current assignment...even though there are already some posted with extreme point of view, etc.
I go to some pretty interesting sims on Second Life....Surely I can find some examples to post for the current review topics.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Some things to change for next time?
One thing that I hope can be changed for other classes....is the names and numbers of the assignments and projects...
I am getting so confused....
There are assignments numbered 1,2,3,etc.
And there are other Projects numbered 1,2,3, etc.
Tonight I am going around in circles...trying to find my gallery and zipped folder for Project #2 for the Nature Photography DOF...
I know that I am going to have to get better organized...
It seems that perhaps the assignments get us ready to do the Projects for which we have two weeks....
Also, having an assignment #4 due the same night as our main project #2 tonight seems like a lot...I wish the assignments could be staggered....
Anyway, it seems that there might be a better way to organize the assignments and projects....or maybe call them by different names...
Maybe there could be Exercises......and then Main Projects that take longer to do...
I am hoping to get everything turned in by midnight...we have class at 7:00p.m. this evening....
Still Struggling with DOF
Well, here it is, the day for our assignment to go in for DOF...and I am still struggling with it.
My little Kodak Easyshare has an F stop range of 2.8 to 8....and I can not tell much difference in the two F stop settings....except for the amount of light it takes....I have been adjusting the shutter speed.
I have also been using the Manual settings to adjust the Aperture and Shutter speeds....
It seems that the only way I am getting a perception of shallow DOF with my little camera is to use the macro setting....and to move back away a little bit....so it is more of a "close up" instead of a macro....
Well, and the other way that works pretty well is using the zoom...to zoom in and out...changing the focal lengths...
I have tried the Photoshop exercise several times and am not getting it to work....making a selection, changing it to an alpha channel, doing an inverse selection, adding a b/w gradient....has not been working for me....but I have found a "work around" by making a selection, doing a "Control J" to put it on another layer...adding an adjustment layer..under it....and putting a b/w gradient on that...
My hands are not too steady sometimes...so the selections are not as good as I would like...I am wishing that I had a Wacom tablet......and a much nicer camera with a long lens....like a Nikon D40....but I cannot afford $800 right now...for the camera...and the other expense for the Wacom tablet....
Maybe someday I will have the equipment I would like to have...to have better control over the photos....We have heard also that the Nikon also has 13 focal points....I believe my little camera jusst has 3 focal points....
Anyway...I have gone out to the old Cisco Zoo and park area three times, trying to do the assignment....and I still do not feel that I know what I am doing yet...hope to learn how to do DOF better....because I really do want to get better at nature photography....and to be able to get some action shots, as well as long distance shots of animals....
I hope everybody is doing better with this assignment than I am.....it has been a real struggle...
I asked our teacher two times if he could do a tutorial on Camtasia for us, like he did for the photography class last year...but he said he would not do it... he said that the tutorial is so easy....that anybody should be able to do it....if they concentrate on it....
Anyway, I feel computer challenged a lot of the time...and need for somebody to show me how to do some things....And I also have a hard time making the adjustments to my camera out in the daylight...I have to use my best glasses to see the little numbers....Oh, well....such are the challenges of an online photography class....
I guess I will just do the best I can....and try to turn in my assignment before the deadline tonight....
My little Kodak Easyshare has an F stop range of 2.8 to 8....and I can not tell much difference in the two F stop settings....except for the amount of light it takes....I have been adjusting the shutter speed.
I have also been using the Manual settings to adjust the Aperture and Shutter speeds....
It seems that the only way I am getting a perception of shallow DOF with my little camera is to use the macro setting....and to move back away a little bit....so it is more of a "close up" instead of a macro....
Well, and the other way that works pretty well is using the zoom...to zoom in and out...changing the focal lengths...
I have tried the Photoshop exercise several times and am not getting it to work....making a selection, changing it to an alpha channel, doing an inverse selection, adding a b/w gradient....has not been working for me....but I have found a "work around" by making a selection, doing a "Control J" to put it on another layer...adding an adjustment layer..under it....and putting a b/w gradient on that...
My hands are not too steady sometimes...so the selections are not as good as I would like...I am wishing that I had a Wacom tablet......and a much nicer camera with a long lens....like a Nikon D40....but I cannot afford $800 right now...for the camera...and the other expense for the Wacom tablet....
Maybe someday I will have the equipment I would like to have...to have better control over the photos....We have heard also that the Nikon also has 13 focal points....I believe my little camera jusst has 3 focal points....
Anyway...I have gone out to the old Cisco Zoo and park area three times, trying to do the assignment....and I still do not feel that I know what I am doing yet...hope to learn how to do DOF better....because I really do want to get better at nature photography....and to be able to get some action shots, as well as long distance shots of animals....
I hope everybody is doing better with this assignment than I am.....it has been a real struggle...
I asked our teacher two times if he could do a tutorial on Camtasia for us, like he did for the photography class last year...but he said he would not do it... he said that the tutorial is so easy....that anybody should be able to do it....if they concentrate on it....
Anyway, I feel computer challenged a lot of the time...and need for somebody to show me how to do some things....And I also have a hard time making the adjustments to my camera out in the daylight...I have to use my best glasses to see the little numbers....Oh, well....such are the challenges of an online photography class....
I guess I will just do the best I can....and try to turn in my assignment before the deadline tonight....
Monday, June 11, 2007
Having a hard time with Depth of Field
I am having such a hard time getting the pictures for Depth of Field. I have gone out three times now, and still do not have very good pictures. It took me a while to figure out how to access the options for changing the F stop and shutter speed.
My teacher said to put it on the manual setting, rather than the aperture priority setting, so I would be able to access the shutter speed.
The first time I went out, I had the shutter speed set at 1/6 and it was so slow that all of my images were blurred.
In class one of the teaching assistants talked about using the zoom for depth of field, showing that the longer lens, required more light, or the image would be darker. The large apertures require less light and less time for shutter speed.
As I understand our assignment, however, I believe that we are to change our Apertures (F stops) and to adjust the Shutter speed, so I guess that the demonstration in the Depth of Field using the different focal lenghths is just another way to accomplish the effect of shallow or great depth. The illustration showed that the longer that was used produced a darker picture, so I guess that compensation could have been made with the shutter speed to adjust the lighting.
It has been very sunny, so I have left the ISO at 100. I had learned in a previous photograhy class at Cisco Junior College that we should use 50 to 100 ISOs on sunny days. The 400 ISO would be used for fast action shots, or night photography.
I feel like I am trying to do the assignment by trial and error. I believe that there were some formulas that we studied when we were using SLR film cameras in the class at Cisco Junior College. I do not know if those same formulas would work with digital cameras, but the basic idea is that the more the F stop is opened (lower numbers) the faster the shutter speed should be; and the more the F stop is closed (higher numbers) the slower the shutter speed should be.
Anyway, I am really struggling with this. I want to learn to master this technique of Depth of Field for nature photography. I believe one thing that would help is for me to buy a more advanced camera such as a Nikon D40. Maybe I can at some point in time...meanwhile I will keep struggling with my little Kodak Easy Share camera that has F stops ranging from 2.8 to 8.
My teacher said to put it on the manual setting, rather than the aperture priority setting, so I would be able to access the shutter speed.
The first time I went out, I had the shutter speed set at 1/6 and it was so slow that all of my images were blurred.
In class one of the teaching assistants talked about using the zoom for depth of field, showing that the longer lens, required more light, or the image would be darker. The large apertures require less light and less time for shutter speed.
As I understand our assignment, however, I believe that we are to change our Apertures (F stops) and to adjust the Shutter speed, so I guess that the demonstration in the Depth of Field using the different focal lenghths is just another way to accomplish the effect of shallow or great depth. The illustration showed that the longer that was used produced a darker picture, so I guess that compensation could have been made with the shutter speed to adjust the lighting.
It has been very sunny, so I have left the ISO at 100. I had learned in a previous photograhy class at Cisco Junior College that we should use 50 to 100 ISOs on sunny days. The 400 ISO would be used for fast action shots, or night photography.
I feel like I am trying to do the assignment by trial and error. I believe that there were some formulas that we studied when we were using SLR film cameras in the class at Cisco Junior College. I do not know if those same formulas would work with digital cameras, but the basic idea is that the more the F stop is opened (lower numbers) the faster the shutter speed should be; and the more the F stop is closed (higher numbers) the slower the shutter speed should be.
Anyway, I am really struggling with this. I want to learn to master this technique of Depth of Field for nature photography. I believe one thing that would help is for me to buy a more advanced camera such as a Nikon D40. Maybe I can at some point in time...meanwhile I will keep struggling with my little Kodak Easy Share camera that has F stops ranging from 2.8 to 8.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
My Wild & Wonderful Week in Second Life
Well the start of the week was really wild because my avatar got caught in a trap when she went to rez some canvases for her photography show at the end of the week on Sheba Island. The developer Monmakr Allen had seen me when my avatar Texanna Schumann was out shopping in a mall.
It was a frightful experience being caught in a trap at the sandbox...and not able to get out...I found out later that it is a contraption that is used in some of the war zone sims in SL. My friend, who invited me to the sandbox reported the abusive behavior...because it happened to her when she teleported into the sandbox, too.
Well, It took a day or two to get over that shock....then my friend showed me how to go the create panel to rez a box...then to flatten it....and then to put a texture on it (one of my photographs that had been saved as a 1024 X 1024 Targa file). Then I "took" it back into my inventory.
The next few days I was placing the photography into the designated building....My friend helped me to make a bluebonnet textured "carpet" on a large 20 X 20 prim...we had to use two of them...Later we decided to make it into a grass texture...
I visited another exhibit and noticed that the artist had used an automatic greeter, so I went to one of my friends who is a scripter in Sl, and he had the "greeting mat" that would give out a note card which would have information about the artist/photographer, and would give a land mark.....so I wrote a brief explanation of who I am as a student at T.S.T.C. and then gave a landmark to the T.S.T.C. commons. I also added a tip jar with butterflies hovering around....and it had to be reshaped and a new texture was put on it.
I took the time to invite all of my friends and acquaintaces to the photography show. I was able to click on the name of my friends in the list, open up the profile, and then to drop the notecard invitation and the landmark for Sheba Island into their inventory. Fortunately, I had joined some art groups, and one of them was kind enough to send out a group notice to the members.
Then I made a special effort to hang around my exhibit space most of the day on Friday and Saturday. There were many of my friends who dropped in....and some asked to be teleported to my location. They were so encouraging and so appreciative of my work with the macro photography of floral subjects. Some of my photographer friends in SL gave me some critiques. Some were absolutely "stunned" with the beauty and the peaceful setting.
One lady said that it would be good if I could have some bird music in the background. She suggested that I add seating so that people could sit and look and feel the peace there. She also suggested that I could make the flowers available to people who do landscaping on the sims in SL.
Well, there were several people who bought the rose picture for L$250 and some bought the bluebonnet picture. One even bought the green carpet for L$300. Several people left tips ranging from L$10 to L$500 in thetip jars. I also rented a booth in the "Old Town Mall Area" and paid L$125. I took three paintings there and also set out the "greeter mats" and put out a tip jar with the butterflies..
All of this has been a wonderful experience for me, and it reminds me of the days when I really was into the art shows and promoting the arts.
The only thing now is that I am struggling to get the Depth of Field assignment done for Monday night. My camera is limited to F2.8 to F8, and I am struggling to get some good Depth of Field shots. I know it will take lots of practice to get good at this.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Blog Transfer 3
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
What's in a Name?
It has been interesting for me to see the various names chosen by members of our T.S.T.C. on-line Second Life special topics photography class. We recognize the T.S.T.C. Staff by the last name of "Techsan." For me that seems close to technician, and I think it is an interesting choice. Maybe they can explain that to us a little more. We appreciate the technical skills that our teachers have and are willing to share with us in such a dedicated way.
When I chose my own name "Texanna Schumann" I was first thinking that I was a Texan, and I love the name Anna, so I put them together for "Texanna." Also, I think the name "Texanna" has a happy sound to it, and I envision my character in Second Life as being a happy, healthy, wholesome kind of girl. The name "Schumann" as a last name appealed to me because it seems to be a German name, which is part of my Real Life relative experience.
I would be interested to know more about the experience of choosing a name for my classmates and our teachers. It's such an interesting process and I'm sure there may be a story behind each one. I welcome all of you to make comments to my blog and share those experiences.
Let's see, in the meantime I will be wondering about Jarrod Kappler, Marisol Noel, Street Cortes, Lowri Mills, Subatomic Sands, Keny watanabe, Trillian Gynoid, Maxi Dassin, Kameko Suising, and Stiletto Snook. I invite all of you to share your experience of choosing a name for Second Life.
Monday, May 21, 2007
My First Official Class in Second Life
This evening on May 21, 2007 at 7:00p.m. C.S.T. we had our first official Special Topics Photography class for the T.S.T.C. Virtual Campus in Second Life. We gathered in the Pit area of the Commons at our T.S.T.C. campus, and our teacher Mr. Kevin Brown gave us an invitation to come over to our classroom. We went into the classroom and he instructed us to sit on the high blue bar stools.
We soon learned that we could raise our hands by using the "Page Up" command. We chuckled as our hands began to wave wildly if our teacher did not answer us immediately. When he looked up and saw us, then we could "Page Down" to put our hands down. He invited us to ask questions about each new idea that was presented.
After answering some questions about Second Life, our instructor presented a slide show about our rules for class. Then he asked us to click on a podium near the screen to get our first assignment, which was to create a journal in the form of a blog. The second assignment was from a different podium and it was to create a series of pictures in color and in black and white. The main idea for the assignment is to use lighting to create different moods.
Then after class we looked at the gallery exhibit of the black and white photography of master photographer Alfred Stiegletz. We were fascinated by the photographs of Georgia O'Keeffee in her younger days. Alfred's Story is fascinating: http://www.profotos.com/education/referencedesk/masters/masters/alfredstieglitz/alfredstieglitz.shtml
I am excited about taking this special topics class and using the T.S.T.C. Virtual Campus classroom. I will have to say that it was a bit of a challenge for me to keep up with all of the class conversation; put the name titler into my T.S.T.C. folder; type "white title" and my real name; find the assignments on the podiums, and zoom in on the projector screen. I felt like I was juggling part of the time.
Fortunately I was already familiar with many of the Second Life Functions such as creating a folder and moving things into it. I have also found it helpful to create a second inventory list so I can drag things from one to the other easily.
Well, this is the first part of the assignment that will be due next Monday. In the next few days I will be working on the photograph series to show different moods with light and shadows. I think I will enjoy this assignment.
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Blog Transfers 2
Friday, May 25, 2007
Photographic Journal
It has been so much fun to travel lots of places and to meet lots of people in Second Life. I am finding that I can use my camera control to zoom in on things and to change the perspective. That has REALLY helped when I go shopping...I don't have to fly around all over the place...lol
The thing that I am enjoying is doing a photographic journal of the places I visit and the friends I meet. I have found that I can save them to the hard drive of my computer. Then I can bring them into Second Life later if I wish.
I have been to some beautiful parks and some incredible buildings, so I take pictures of myself in the setting. I have also found some interesting kinds of pose balls and have taken a picture of myself reading, relaxing, or just posing for a picture.
Today I took a picture of my friend Lowri Mills and myself at her Mission house in Second Life. We compared our heights and our gestures.
Anyway I am having a lot of fun with the camera controls. It does take some practice, but it is well worth the time and effort. As you know you press down the Alt key as you roll your mouse as you click on an object to center it. Then you can roll in or out to zoom. By adding the Control key you can pan around the scene...up or down and around. This has been one of the neatest tools that I have found...and it really helps to get the scene composed the way I want it so that I can click on the "Snapshot" button at the bottom of the page and then save it to my own computer.
You are welcome to comment on this idea at the bottom of the blog. I would be interested to know your thoughts and ideas about it.
Meeting and Greeting
I am having a great time going places and meeting people in Second Life. I have met many artists, photographers, and musicians. I have found that when I meet the person I can right-click on them to check out their profile. If it mentions art or photography I may strike up a conversation with them, either in Chat, which everyone in the room can read; or by IM,which only the person can read. It is like calling them on their cell phone.
Then when I am talking to the person, I can open up the last page under their profile which says "My Notes." Then I can type in where I met them, what their interests are and where their galleries are. These notes can only be read by the writer of the notes.
Then I have also organized my calling cards by putting a category for artists and drag their card into that file. I also have a folder in my landmarks for artists and photographers.
One other thing that I learned from Lowri Mills is that we can copy the IM's or the Chat to a note card...or we could even save it to Word on our computer. We can do that by highlighting the text we want to copy and then do a "Control+C" to copy it. Then open the Word Document, or go to Create>Note Card and open it up. Then just do a "Control+V" to copy it.
These are just a few little tricks that are helping me to keep up with my contacts better. I am finding that I have so many friends that I soon forget what they do if I do not take notes on them. Then there is the possibility of meeting them again an resuming the conversation.
I would be happy for others to comment on this to see if it works for you. I am also interested in learning things that you have found to help us be more successful in Second Life.
Blog Transfers
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Targa 1024
I am finding that the preferred format for Second Life is a Targa file....and the largest resolution is 1024. I was chatting with a professional artist and photographer in Second Life and that was the information that he gave me.
I have visited several art shows and I really like th fine resolution that I see on the pictures, although some of them take a while to rez. I have also noticed that for some galleries the hovering text says that the pictures can be resized. I like that feature, so when I asked my friend about it, he said to save my files as Targa 1024 X 1024 pixels. Then I would upload the file. I would then create a black canvas prim and put the picture on one side of it.
He was taking me through an impromptu tutorial on it and I was taking notes, but I got lost between the stretching, selecting off, and then reselecting the prim. I want to try to do it again soon, however, because I have been invited to show some photography and art at a grand opening. Fortunately, my friend Lowri Mills says that she can help me...and there may be a few others who will help get the art show together.
I have invited some photographers from the Eastland Spin to join me in the efforts...and there may be a few classmates who would also like to show with us...in about two weeks. Fortunately we have some pictures from our assignments...and past photo shoots that may be just right for the occasion.
Anyway, it is a new adventure...and I am excited about it....You are welcome to comment....and to add what you have found about formats and resolution in SL.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Weather Wise
With the spring comes so many surprises when it comes to weather conditions. My intention was to go to a spring "fly in" at Ranger this last weekend for the celebration of the historical marker. I was just envisioning planes of all sorts and colors landing in the little air field. When the day came, however, there had been so much rain that planes could not land there. I thought perhaps some had landed in Eastland instead, so I went over there after the dedication of the marker, but did not find any planes there either. So I changed my plans for my photography assignment.
I decided that I would try to photograph some wild flowers that grow along the sides of the road near my house. I went walking several mornings and found the wind to be blowing....and the flowers were bobbing their heads in rhythm with the wind. I tried holding the stems of some of them, and found that my hand was in the picture. I did snap several pictures and was hoping for the best. I was using the macro settings, too, so I needed some stillness....though I did not have a tripod.
Later I was talking to my friend, who is also taking the class, and she said that she had found a cardboard box, or some other type of temporary shield helps to keep the wind off the flowers for a still photograph.
Anyway, I have found that there are many surprises when it comes to the weather in the spring, so it is a good idea to allow myself several photoshoots to get the right lighting conditions and not so much wind in the flowers.
Photography is always a challenge and I have enjoyed finding ways to capture some beauty in wild flowers this week, even with the surprises in the weather.
Doing it Right
Well, I am re-doing my blog Journal today with the URL name that the Assignment 1 specifies. I have made about six entries into the other one that I created about a week ago, so I may try to transfer some of those into this newer blog.
It is my desire to do things the way the assignments indicate, but sometimes my right brain takes over and wants to add florishes, or do things in a different way.
Today I was out taking pictures for my Project #1 and was having a great time getting the lighting and angles just right. I took some pictures on the south end of our town Cisco, and then moved to another location closer to the center. Then I took several pictures in the Center of town...then I noticed that my battery was used up. I went to check out my pictures and found that over half of my shots were not even recorded...so I will have to go back and try again on some of the shots.
Lesson Learned....take time to download any pictures that may be on my disk and to be sure that the battery is charged up. It is almost like the good old days when there were a few times that I was clicking away...taking pictures...and then found that I had no film in the camera! Oh!
So, if I can remember these things I know that I will be a better photographer. It is important to look things over very carefully and to do them right....the FIRST time.....Yes!
It is my desire to do things the way the assignments indicate, but sometimes my right brain takes over and wants to add florishes, or do things in a different way.
Today I was out taking pictures for my Project #1 and was having a great time getting the lighting and angles just right. I took some pictures on the south end of our town Cisco, and then moved to another location closer to the center. Then I took several pictures in the Center of town...then I noticed that my battery was used up. I went to check out my pictures and found that over half of my shots were not even recorded...so I will have to go back and try again on some of the shots.
Lesson Learned....take time to download any pictures that may be on my disk and to be sure that the battery is charged up. It is almost like the good old days when there were a few times that I was clicking away...taking pictures...and then found that I had no film in the camera! Oh!
So, if I can remember these things I know that I will be a better photographer. It is important to look things over very carefully and to do them right....the FIRST time.....Yes!
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