JMRead

Hello Chris, I used a B&W setting, a no viewfinder P&S camera under my chin, left hand holding it, right index finger on the shutter release, F4, 28mm, manual zone focussing set at 1mtr +. Few people notice, those that do get an explanation. And I get close 1 to 2mtrs. Hello Fuji, I soon found that I could not do it half heartedly, I missed more than I got, I like unposed, I like to be amongst the people I photograph, close up, engaged, the heightened awareness enabling me to press the shutter instantly, without any (apparent) thought. It then becomes photography at what must be another part of brain activity as I realised that the 'best' shots were the instantaneous ones. Sounds a bit psychobabbly but I suspect every other street photographer has experienced this. And after doing it for awhile the project ideas kicked in and two bodies of work emerged. Until I found SlideShare there was no place to put a properly sequenced series of images with a narrative text. Will I continue doing it, well maybe if something else occurs for a street project. I'm still pursuing my interest in montages and very recently the figure in the landscape, where the figure becomes part of the landscape and not its subject. And thanks for the nice comment, good of you. Cheers - Jim

.... a home for those who like to make bodies of work and be able to display them online; SlideShare. I found it a couple of days ago whilst Googling 'experimental photography'. I did my first slideshow using PowerPoint 2000 here's a link to it: http://www.slideshare.net/jemraid/the-unobserved Cheers - Jim

Hello Graham, Welcome to the forum from another newbie. I've got an old Casio P&S all of 3MP and I still use it from time to time. Cheers - Jim

Hello Fuji, My sister had one of those it would eat the string off the joint :-) Typical!! Cheers - Jem

Hello Fuji, I did a bit of Googling apparently; 1/3 of PC's worldwide use XP they have no intention of changing, others are still using Win98, ME and Win2000 there is no upgrade from XP a new OS would mean the backup of all files purchase of new HDD's or format each one then install the later OS and install backup files difficult on one machine on 1,000 and all networked, impossible MS is selling Win8 on cheapo laptops etc for peanuts and there are few corporate buyers MS is hurrying with the intro of Win9 which several sources hope will be upgradeable from XP The new MS CEO is carrying the can for all of this and if Win9 fails he will be on his way out Hmmmmm :-) - Jem

Hello Blackrox, I'm really pleased to have been some help, why Microsoft can't just build on an extremely successful OS without having to have a someone from outside do it for them I cannot understand. They could have so easily offered the same thing. Cheers - Jim

Hello All, Windows 8 is a superbly fast OS, Classic Shell makes it easier for those like me who want the Classic Windows layout, nearly ten million people are using it. I can run half a dozen programs side by side and switch from one to another without it locking up, as it did on my previous laptop. I read lots about you can't do this and you can't do that with Win 8 but I've got Office 2000 working, Photoshop 5, and CS2 as well as CS6, free stuff like Kompozer, Web Album Generator, Calibrize, Net Meter, XNView, CCleaner, and FTP Surfer all worked straightaway. Cheers - Jim

Hi Charles, Welcome to the forum from another newbie, it's a great site with some great people who are all very helpful indeed. Cheers - Jim

Hello all, Forgive me if you already know this, I bought a new laptop from Argos a couple of weeks ago it's got Win 8.1 on it. I read lots about it and in particular a page on PCWorld: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2054422/five-tools-to-bring-the-start-menu-back-to-windows-8-1.html As soon as I got it home and got it going I downloaded Classic Shell http://www.classicshell.net/ it's free (donation ware). Installed it and now I have the best OS I've ever known working in the classic windows manner. Cheers - Jem

Hello Joe, Welcome to the forum, nice place Burscough used to call on a small engineering business there. I use a little Text app called Metapad like Notepad but with a few more bells and whistles. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/metapad.html It's got an 'Always on top' function choice and it doesn't format any text. Cheers - Jim

Hello Nanny and Hello Fuzzy, I bought a 1950's Kodak Duaflex the original without a model number for a fiver on eBay and made a box for it. A DSLR can be attached via its tripod mount to the bit sticking out of the box, the glass you can see through the hole is the viewing lens of the Duaflex. It's a quirky way of making images as the Duaflex glass is uncoated some odd colour effects occur and the simplicity of the lens leads to odd focussing effects as well, the pics look old because the accumulated dirt on the Duaflex mirror appears in the image as well and lastly there is a nice border from the metal surrounding the viewfinder magnifying lens. Ohh and I used an old sock to stop the light pouring down the box and ruining the pics :-) Cheers - Jem

Hello Bill, We decided to move when we retired we had to find an allotment site with a vacant plot for Eileen and then look for a bungalow. It wasn't easy and it took us the 2 years before we retired to pin point several areas we could move to and afford. I didn't mind where I can walk anywhere, to find that little area ten minutes away was glorious. It's not a place with extensive views but it does have an unspoilt look about it. I spent the first of the 5 years we've been here wandering around with a TtV contraption and a daft smile on my face. This is in a field by Dethick, lovers leave flowers. Cheers - Jim

Hello Martyn Thanks for your welcome, oddly enough I have a postcard I bought as a souvenir on top of the bureau I'm writing this from, of Eric's statue. And what a lovely 2nd hand bookshop just along the front there. Cheers - Jim

Hello John, Welcome from another newbie I too am interested in photo manipulation and digital art, used to live in Birmingham now in Derbyshire. Cheers - Jem

Hello Chris, I would say that it is a matter of personal choice and if we can suggest as many ways as possible that people can use to arrive at the same objective, then we will have done a great deal of good :-) Cheers - Jem

Hello I think this is a situation that calls for the Pen tool, where there are adjacent areas of similar tonal/brightness value but different colours the other tools fail. Make a path around the image and include the bits in the middle you also want to remove, convert the path (after saving it) to a selection, modify it by contracting it 2 or 3 pixels smooth it by the same amount and then feather the selection by 0.5 pixels. If you want to keep the image and use it to go into another one as a layer, copy it CTRL+C, make a new image CTRL+N paste it CTRL+V I don't use CTRL+E to flatten them but keep them as a separate layer. Apologies if you already know this :-) Jim

Hello Annie, Many thanks for the welcome when we moved here, we live in an old mining village just outside Chesterfield I thought I will be able to walk around the peak, reely grate! Ten minutes away though is Ashover and its surrounding countryside, the locals call it the little peak and I am able to do several circular walks mostly away from any road. I adore the area and after 5 years of walking the same paths I still find things I've not seen before. Here's one of Dalebank not far from Ashover made one rainy July afternoon, it's no substitute for the peak I know but I hope you like it. Cheers - Jim

Thanks Heather and Thanks Richard, this is a lovely forum and I'm delighted to be here :-) Jem

Thanks BP and Thanks Paul and Thanks Kate I do appreciate your welcome :-) Jem

There's a Warp tool in Photoshop that will do it to a whole image or to any area you wish to make a selection of. Use Feather to make it look less obvious. On a single image use CTRL+J to make another layer and work on that. Cheers - Jim

Hi all and thanks for the welcome nice of you. Jim

Hello all, I'm Jem from Danesmoor near Chesterfield and just joined today. I've often thought about organising a meetup for Independent Photographers, nothing formal, chat and show some pics about 4 or 6 times a year. Should I post this somewhere else? Jem