It's the second day of this short course and coffee break. Thankfully things have gone really well so far this morning and the time has simply flown by. At this rate we'll be finishing early and maybe I can sneak away without being spotted!

The weekend looms and the weather's still pretty grim here in Wales. I note it's not actually raining now, although the skies still look full of it. At least things aren't as black overhead as they were the last time I visited Lydney!

The Gathering Storm

Adobe Photoshop may be horribly expensive, but it's the best image editing package on the market, bar none. There's virtually nothing it can't do, as long as you know how to use the software.

Kingsand

This is an image of the waterfront at Kingsand, Cornwall. Well actually it's two images that I stitched together in Photoshop: what a clever package that is.

I'd be happy to share some Photoshop tips/techniques here if anyone's interested? The £600.00 UK price-tag is prohibitive, but there are loads of people wearing eye-patches out there!

(Not that I'm in favour of software piracy of course!)

We finally got email and messaging services back at the university today, followed by departmental shared network drives: phew! Normal service is being resumed it seems, but have we learned anything from the chaos? I certainly hope so, though I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Aside from being pleased to be able to communicate with colleagues and students once more, I'm really happy to be in a position to start delivering training again. I have a two-day Introduction to Microsoft Access course planned for tomorrow and Friday, which I really didn't want to have to postpone. After all I've already had to scratch two Dreamweaver and two Fireworks sessions that will need to be knitted back into the overcrowded training programme somehow.

The remainder of our failed services should be back with us tomorrow. This doesn't impact on me very much thankfully, but it is likely to make colleagues happier about the state of affairs.

Isn’t technology a wonderful thing?
Don’t we miss it when it’s not there?
Would life be easier without it?

I doubt anyone ever really anticipated just how much our lives would revolve around computers. If anyone asked me 10 years ago whether or not I could run my life without the use of PC I’d have answered “yes, of course” but that’s no longer the case, in my working environment at least. My PC and the networks it connects to are the staff of life here and I'm buggered without it.

Working in a small university, as I do, my computer is an essential tool because:
1. We communicate via email and instant messenger.
2. Our diaries are electronic.
3. Room allocation and booking is undertaken electronically.
4. We teach in the classroom using data projection.
5. We deliver teaching materials online.
6. Sadly, we have no back-up in place should systems fail!

So what happens when a major power outage destroys our systems? Everything falls apart, that’s what.

We’ve been without our usual methods of communication since Monday and it’s starting to feel like a real drag that life has essentially ground to a halt. So much to do and no way of achieving an end.
How sad.

I have a variety of zoom lenses among my kit and while they are very convenient I find myself turning more and more to the use of prime lenses. Why? Simply because they generally produce crisper, cleaner results.

I've already spoken about my current pride and joy, my Nikon 20mm f2.8 wide-angle. These are the other prime lenses that are always in my bag nowadays.

What we have here is a Nikon 50mm f1.8 “standard” lens and a Nikon 85mm f1.8 “portrait” lens.

The 50mm, on a film camera, replicates more or less what the eye sees. This is not quite true when coupled to a digital camera: in fact my Fuji S2 Pro increases a lenses focal length by a factor of roughly 1.4, so the 50mm lens becomes 70mm.

Description
Type Fixed Focal Length
Focal Range Standard Lens
Lens Fitting Nikon AF
Focusing Auto
Filter Size 52mm

The 85mm short telephoto lens was regarded as a standard for portrait photographers; the focal length is just about perfect for head shots. I'd have to say that I find the lens useful for far more than portraiture. I know one guy, a sports photographer, who uses one exclusively for ringside work.

I'd describe this as a compact and portable telephoto lens that is ideal for portraits. It is rear focusing allowing for fast AF operation. An excellent choice for your first telephoto lens.

Specifications
Lens Construction: 6 elements in 6 groups
Picture Angle: 28 degrees 30 minutes
Minimum Focus Distance: 3 feet
Attachment/ Filter Size: 62mm
Dimensions (diameter x length - in.): 2.8 x 2.3 inches
Weight (oz.): 13.2 oz
Nikon Lens Hood: HN-23

I wouldn't be without these lenses. Together with my 20mm they form the backbone of my armoury and one or other is almost always attached to my S2.

Nikon 20mm f2.8
My Favourite

I guess all photographers eventually find a lens that becomes a favourite with repeated use: I certainly have one and it's my Nikon 20mm f2.8D AF.

So what is it that's so special about this piece of glass that excites me so much? Well for a start the clarity is superb and the perspective interesting, so I'm always pleased with the results.

A few facts and figures:

Maximum aperture: f2.8
Minimum aperture: f22
Weight: 9.5 ounces
Minimum focus: 10 inches
Filter size: 62mm

In use I find this lens barely sticks out past the side-grip on my Fuji S2. Although it's an autofocus lens, I tend to focus manually most of the time. One word of caution, both front and rear elements are vulnerable so beware when handling. I almost always use a skylight filter to protect the lens front.

I very quickly found I came to rely on this lens, preferring it over the 24-70mm zoom I used to use for wide-angle work. Nowadays I wouldn't be without it and it's permanently in my bag.

The only real drawbacks are the limited depth of field scale and the small amount of barrel distortion you get with all wide-angle lenses. I can live with these.

The Nikon 20mm lens is not cheap to buy, but the quality is generally excellent making it worth the money in my opinion. If you're prepared to shop around (eBay) there are bargains to be found.

When I first ventured into the world of digital photography, digital SLRs were few and far between and extremely expensive. Most of us settled for something a lot less sophisticated. Let's be fair, even the SLRs back then were comparatively low quality by today's standards. My first digicam had a resolution of 1.3 megapixels and recorded images to a floppy disk. Today I use Fuji S2 Pro with a maximum resolution of more than 12 megapixels.

As technology improved and demand forced pricing down digital photographers embraced the better quality image. Compact type digitals these days return superb quality and for those who demand a little more control there are a number of relatively inexpensive and extremely good digital SLRs on the market.

So why did I choose my Fuji S2 Pro? Well I've always rated Nikon equipment very highly and when I started looking at the market seriously, Nikon cameras naturally featured in my first trawl. The D1 series was the flagship, but I was somewhat taken aback by the money I was expected to part with to own one. Somewhat less expensive and almost as impressive was the N80.

I heard Nikon were to introduce two new cameras, the D60 and the D100. Then I heard that Fuji were to replace their somewhat tired S1 with the S2 Pro, also based on N80 body and sporting a higher specification than either D60 or D100: the S2 Pro claimed to be the first 12 megapixel SLR. The S2 was also considerably cheaper to buy.

As far as media goes the S2 will write to both Compact Flash I and II and SmartMedia. Images sizes range from 4256x2848 in RAW to 1440x960 low-res JPEG. ISO ratings are 100, 160, 200, 400, 800 & 1600. Shutter speeds are between 30sec to 1/4000 and bulb.

The camera is powered by 4 AA and 2 CR123A batteries. The CR123As are optional, but in my opinion the camera seems to work slightly better with them. I was a bit bothered by the power source initially, but in operation I have no complaints: I always carry a couple of sets of rechargeable AAs in my bag.

It was obvious this camera was a serious option, so I went out to try one. Once handled I was convinced I ought to make a purchase.

Here's what Thom Hogan has to say about the S2 Pro:

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The Basics

The Fujifilm S2 Pro has a feature set that sounds almost identical to the D100 (or any other serious digital or film SLR, for that matter). Indeed, most of the "camera" features of both are derived from the N80 body. In appearance the S2 Pro closely resembles the N80, though careful observation shows that the curves and lines on the back and bottom of the camera have been tweaked. The digital controls look and feel just like the S1 controls, a benefit to those upgrading from that body.

The autofocus system is fast, and features five sensors (CAM 900) that can track rapidly moving objects, or direct autofocus to a specific area of the frame. Autofocus detection works from EV –1 to EV 19 (specified at ISO 100). The metering range extends from EV 0 to EV 21, plenty wide for virtually any shooting you might do. Note that the spot metering range is slightly lower, from EV 3 to EV 21. Unless you make a habit of spot metering in unlit situations at night, you're not likely to encounter that limit.

Shutter speeds can be controlled in 1/2 stop increments from 30 seconds to 1/4000. All shutter speeds are handled mechanically on the S2. Indeed, the shutter sounds pretty much like the N80's in action (a very quiet "clunk" sound). Single shot and continuous firing at 3 fps is supported, though I have not found any condition that allows my S2 to achieve the stated maximum frame rate. The best I've been able to obtain is 2 fps. And it's relatively easy to (inadvertently) turn on features that would make motor drive even more leisurely in pace.

The S2 manages matrix metering the old-fashioned way, with a 10-segment metering pattern. The matrix metering also incorporates information about the focus point you’re using if you’ve mounted a “D-type” lens. Nikon also lists “subject positioning,” “overall scene brightness,” and “scene contrast” as factors in the matrix metering calculations. In short, it’s hard to second guess the camera as there are so many factors being considered. If simplicity suits you, the spot meter option is a better choice.

As befitting a serious camera, Fujifilm [Nikon] keeps the mode selection simple: Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual are the full lineup. Program mode is easily adjusted by spinning one of the control dials. There's also an automatic adjustment of the program due to focal length of the lens used; thus there is no “Program High” or other special automatic modes as there are in some other Nikon bodies. Like all Nikon bodies, you can override the programming using the rear command dial, something Nikon calls "Flexible Program."

An exposure compensation button gives you a +/- 3-stop range in 1/2-stop steps. A built-in bracketing system allows two or three shots at half-stop values up to 2 EV apart. Exposure (as well as autofocus) can be locked by on-camera controls (though this takes some reading of the custom functions to understand completely). ISO values can be set to 100, 160, 200, 400, 800 or 1600.

Flash sync works to 1/125 of second. Flash metering uses five TTL sensors and can be balanced, slow-synced, and synchronized with the rear curtain.

In the viewfinder, you'll see 95% of the full frame, which means you're not seeing between 50 and 75 pixels worth of information at every edge (more if you set 12-megapixels as the size). Shutter speed, aperture, exposure mode, metering method, focus indicator, exposure compensation, and flash ready are all visible in the viewfinder, even to eyeglass wearers like me. Unfortunately, frame counter and/or buffer remaining indicators, as the D100 has, are not present. One annoying aspect of the S2's viewfinder is that it is simply a masked N80 viewfinder (the D100's was altered slightly). That means that the camera information appears quite far from the image area (i.e., there's a large space between the two). This takes a bit of adjustment, and it's impossible for me to pay attention to framing while looking at camera settings (or vice versa), even though they're both visible at the same time, even with my glasses on.

On the color LCD on the back of the camera, you'll see 100% of the image. Probably of most use on the color LCD is the ability to see a histogram of any picture you take, allowing you to tinker with exposure to get every last bit of dynamic range out of the sensor (like slide film, always expose so that the brightest highlight doesn't blow out--you can usually recover shadow detail that blocks up, but blown highlights are obnoxious to the eye and not easily fixable). Fujifilm's color LCD has a few foibles to note:

Colors are off. On five different S2 Pro bodies I've seen, I've seen five slightly different color interpretations. Some were off subtly, one was quite blue, another quite reddish in tint. You can't judge color by the color LCD.

The protective cover has to be removed to see well. Get one of Hoodman's solutions if you don't want to be jerking the cover on and off.

Histograms are hard to read. First, they're small in size and stuffed into the right corner of the already small display. Second, there is no differentiation of color between histogram points and the histogram frame, making it almost impossible to tell whether you've got a spike at the highlight end. On the plus side, you can look at histograms for individual colors.

The color LCD on the back doesn't display a preview of image before you take the shot (the S2's CCD is blocked by a shutter curtain and mirror, after all). Frankly, I don't find this to be a drawback at all, and a bit of a plus (the power-hungry color LCD is only on when you're reviewing pictures or making camera adjustments). The regular viewfinder is just fine for determining composition and focus, though the image is a bit smaller and darker than the N80's.

The Fujifilm S2 takes any Nikon F mount lens (well, lenses earlier than the AI manual focus Nikkors damage the mount if you try to put them on the S2, and a few specific lenses won't work on the S2, usually because they have elements that stick into the mirror box and require mirror lock-up). Non-CPU lenses don't allow metering and must be used in Manual exposure mode. When you mount a lens on the S2, the effective focal length is increased by about 1.5x (e.g., a 20mm lens shows roughly the same angle of view as a 30mm lens would on a 35mm body [Note: the actual magnification impact is closer to 1.56x, which is somewhat higher than the D100, enough so to be visibly apparent with very wide angle lenses.]). Apertures aren't really affected by this change. Because only the central portion of the lens is used, if you've been making any exposure adjustments at maximum aperture to account for light falloff, you should not do that on an S2. The focal length change has several good points, and a couple of bad ones:

Free teleconverter. Your 300mm f/4 lens just started producing the angle of view of a 450mm f/4 lens! Wildlife and bird photographers love the extra "oomph" the S2 gives to their lenses.

Better optical quality. The fact that only the central area of any lens is used means that chromatic aberration is lessened, light falloff is reduced, corners are sharper, and even consumer-oriented lenses (such as the 18-35mm Nikkor) produce professional-looking results.

Wide angle options are limited. The widest rectilinear lens made is 14mm (though the 12-24mm DX Nikkor now gets you a bit wider), which produces basically the same results as a 22mm lens when you mount it on a S2. Also problematic is that all the 14mm lenses have a significant tendency towards flare and contrast reduction when light hits their pronounced front elements.

Depth of field judgment isn't quite right. The real key here is that you're likely to blow up the original image by a greater magnification than you would with 35mm, so you shouldn't use the 35mm standards, despite the fact that it may appear that you should (Fujifilm doesn't address this issue in their documentation or marketing materials; I do in my book).

The SuperCCD sensor the S2 Pro uses is currently unique to the S2. It consists of a 3024 x 2016 array, and it has massive (compared to the consumer cameras) photosites. That's just one reason why the S2 can produce 12-bit RGB images with rich color and low noise. Like virtually all digital cameras, a filter array is placed over the S2's CCD. This filter has three purposes:

1.Provides the Bayer pattern. The Bayer pattern is named after the Kodak engineer who invented it. On the Fujifilm SuperCCD, this pattern is actually rotated 45 degrees to produce a set of color filters with an alternating pattern of GGGG... (on even-numbered rows) and offset RBRB... (on odd-numbered rows) pixels. The final image is rebuilt by interpolating the actual pixel values at each position. Fujifilm's odd pattern has a tendency to produce more horizontal and vertical detail than traditional patterns of the same size, but this comes at the expense of diagonal resolution. Some third-party RAW converters have trouble getting the S2's files rendered without patterns that are obviously CCD layout induced.

2.Filters out some infrared. CCDs are sensitive to infrared light, and to keep infrared energy from biasing colors and exposure, some (but not all) of this light is filtered out. Near infrared response on the S2 Pro is still quite good.

3.Provides a low-pass anti-aliasing filter. Digital sampling is subject to color fringing (artifacts) when high frequency detail in a scene approaches that of the sensor pitch.

The S2 Pro produces several different types of files: JPEG, TIFF, and RAF. The JPEG options work as you'd expect, but you pay a small penalty for using that format: the files are compressed and lose a bit of detail, plus they are converted to 8-bit format, losing some of the S2's tonal range in the process. Fujifilm's JPEG engine tends to produce very sharp-looking images, much more so than the Nikon D100. TIFF formats are available to prevent the compression loss, but they, too, produce only 8-bit RGB. The RAF format is the only one that retains the full data the S2 is capable of acquiring. Indeed, the RAF format contains exactly the data that came from the CCD, with no interpolation or camera processing! Unfortunately, you need an extra software program to fully use this format. The camera comes with an LE version that lets you get files from RAF into your editor, but the EX converter (also called Hyper Utility Software [yuck!]) gives you more control over post-exposure manipulations. As I write this, QImage, Bibble, Adobe RAW Converter, and at least one additional software interpolation program all understand RAF files, and I'm pretty sure we'll see others. But each seems to render images quite differently, as I noted in the 4th issue of my D1 Report (now Nikon Digital SLR Report). Only Fujifilm's converter seems to consistently produce excellent detail and color. Adobe RAW, for example, doesn't know how to find the S2 Pro's black point and sometimes produces incorrect results from a RAF file.

In the US, the S2 Pro comes with an initial set of batteries (4 heavy duty alkaline AA, 2 CR123a lithium). You'll want to get at least 1800 mAh Nimh rechargeable AA batteries and the charger for them. Battery life is quite dependent upon a number of factors, and can range from a couple of hundred shots to a thousand, at least in my observation so far. Note that IBM Microdrives use more power than Compact Flash cards, and thus, exhaust the batteries faster.

But everything isn't hunky dory in the battery realm. CR123 batteries seem to have a fairly limited life span in the S2, with 500-1000 exposures being about average, in my experience (and they discharge even when the camera is on AC power and even when the camera is OFF!). When they die the camera goes into what I call a "moping about" mode. The battery indicators may both indicate low, but the viewfinder display won't stay lit, and other features start to work sporadically (such as DOF preview). The camera will continue to mope until you either replace the CR123a, take the CR123a out and shoot just with the AA, or your AA go dead. If you shoot without the CR123a in, the battery indicators no longer are accurate (they'll read low even with fully charged AA's most of the time) and you lose use of the internal flash.

My recommendation: go to a warehouse store such as Costco and stock up on CR123a. The minute the top LCD shows a battery low indicator, pop the CR123a out and put fresh ones in.

The camera weighs in at 26.8 ounces, and that's without a lens or the battery, so it's a lot lighter than the D1, a bit heavier than the D100, but significantly heavier than the N80.

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So I bought my S2 Pro and I haven't looked back.

What a bloody day. What a bloody shitty pig-awful day!
I have a couple of days leave and my mood's as black as those clouds. I think I hear one of Winston's black dogs growling close behind me.

Don't ever let anyone tell you teaching administrators web design is easy, it most certainly isn't. How some of these people manage to get out of bed of a morning is beyond me; thank God they don't hold the freaking purse-strings!

I had intended talking about my choice of photographic kit, but I don't think it would be too good an idea right now; perhaps in the morning.

Who am I? I'm John Page.

Why am I here? I’m here because my parents shared a night of passion back in 1951 so if you want to take it up with anyone, complain to Thelma and Horace.

Although I was born in Newport, my formative years were spent at Christchurch where I roamed the countryside getting into all kinds of trouble and finding out a lot about nothing very much. I guess this was a big influence on my love of open spaces, flora and fauna.

I’m Welsh, but not passionate about it. When it comes to sport (rugby) I support Newport RFC first and Wales second.

My first ‘real’ job was with the Royal Navy and I tend to suffer from the slightly odd sense of humour shared by all those who've spent time in the 'Senior Service'. I very quickly grew to love the sea and get withdrawal symptoms if I’m kept away from it for more than a few weeks at a time. Fortunately, living in the UK you’re never very far from the coast.

These days I teach IT for a living at University of Wales, Newport: it's not too exciting, but it pays the mortgage.

I’m passionate about food and love to experiment in the kitchen; you’ll never go hungry in my house, but you may need to acquire a liking for chillies. I’m not into sweet things much, although I do like chocolate.

Photography is a hobby for me and one I’ve played with off and on for around 40 years. I don’t profess to be particularly good at it and willingly admit that I’m still learning. I have had work published though, so it can’t all be bad!

The new digital era has re-awakened my interest considerably; thanks to packages like Photoshop I no longer have to turn the bathroom into a processing lab, which is no doubt appreciated by other members of my family! Visit me at Usksider for a look at some of my images.

I’ve been accused of having a weird sense of humour, but it’s probably really not so strange when you stop to consider the facts. I’ll admit to finding humour in some pretty odd things, but no more so than any other matelots I’ve ever met. Believe me, when you’re at sea for months on end with no-one but other guys for company it’s common to find humour wherever you can!

As far as my photography goes I tend to think of my humour more as abstract or possibly surreal. If I see something that amuses me, I’ll photograph it whether it be a piece of crab left on a beach or a pile of trash dumped under a fore sale sign. Why anyone would go to the trouble of driving past a municipal tip to dump their rubbish in woodland is beyond me and totally inexcusable in my view, but that’s a different story.

With regards the above image: remember, you may need to extract the environmental issues associated with the dumping of rubbish in public places. Now read on…

I was walking in Wentwood one morning when I came across this load of trash just dumped at the side of the track. My first reaction was anger, why would someone do such a thing? But as I got nearer I noticed the hand-painted sign (advertising a second-hand dirt bike) nailed to the tree. The anger dissipated just a little and I realised this was an opportunity not to be missed.

Incidentally, I rang the number on the sign and enquired about the bike. The guy told me he’d already sold it, so I asked if that was why he’d dumped his unwanted fridges etc. in the wood? He denied all knowledge of course and was most likely innocent. After all, your average person doesn’t have five or six fridges to throw away all at the same time!

Why did he nail up his notice? Because unfortunately that part of one of Britain’s most ancient woodlands is legitimately used by followers of motocross and he wanted to promote the sale among like-minded people. Sad really.

Now for the $64,000 question; is this art?

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No damage to the environment was
perpetrated by the photographer!

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Welcome to me blog shipmates, let's shivver the odd timber and splice the mainbrace!

Okay, so what's this all about? I thought I'd create a blog to share my thoughts and musings about photography and the world I live in. I'd also like to invite readers to visit my online photo gallery imaginatively called Usksider.

So what kind of images am I into? Well all kinds of things really. Here's an attractive landscape shot of the River Wye, taken from a churchyard in the town of Ross-on-Wye.

This following is a pretty shot of the River Thames at Henley. The image was taken at around 7:00am on a Sunday morning - I was amazed at how many people were out using the river while all sensible people were still fast asleep!

Well those were examples of the chocolate-box type of stuff you get on cheesey calendars, etc. They're all very well, but not too imaginative. I like to be a bit different (some would say bloody strange!) which is why I also take images like this one:

It's called Come Back And Fight Like A Man because this half-eaten piece of crab I spotted on a Welsh beach reminded me of a scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail.
Go figure it out for yoursleves...