The Professor's Notes

You know someone who is a photo-bug? Photo JoJo store has some really cool gifts for the photo gadget lover, or just the lover of photography. My favorites include: The elastic Macro Lens band for phones, lens screw-on adapters for both fish-eye (0.35x) and telephoto (2x) zoom, and 90 degree “Super secret spy lens” for seeing around corners, or just taking pictures sideways.

Check these, and the other gift ideas out–and don’t forget your favorite Professor! (Even if it isn’t me!)

Relaxing in the summer sun.

I am making a select few of my images available for digital purchase, in full, original image size.  Check out the “google store” on the right hand side, and if you see an image you would like, go ahead and purchase it.

At $2.99 an image, how can you go wrong?

Photo: Did you get a new digital camera for the holidays, like many of our listeners at Real Tech for Real People? Is it all tricked out and lets you make all the adjustments? Spend time getting to know the “noise profile” of your digital camera. The sensors on the cameras will show “noise” when used at higher ISO ratings (you know, in film the 100, 200 and 400 ratings?) Today’s digital cameras are quite good, and the noise is relatively low even when the sensor’s sensitivity is dialed up quite high–as high as 6400 for some of the pro-sumer Nikons and Canons. But they still have “noise” or “Grain.”

Learn more about this tip, and many others, in Episode 69 of Real Tech for Real People.  You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes–simply search for RTFRP.

Things are beginning to turn here at the lake, and I am enjoying taking the panorama photos with the Samsung Captivate Android-based phone.

From Drop Box

IT was brought to my attention, as we prepare for tonight’s podcast, Real Tech for Real People episode 47, that Flickr has changed they way you can link/embed photographs.  In the past, you could just include a link to the image–and that was it.  They now are requiring that you use their “share” feature.

So does this mean that Flickr is as bad as Facebook, running rough-shod over our rights with our own photographs?

I don’t think so, and let me explain why.  In the case of Facebook, they (the Facebook Machine) declared that all our Photos belong to Them (and us.)  Actually, the Flickr action is meant to ensure that all my photos remain my photos.  If I take a photograph, and I am willing to show it to the world, then I don’t mind you sharing it (perhaps) but only if you keep my credit attached.  People have been going around, linking to others photographs without linking back to the original, or to Flickr.

That is changed.  Now you must provide a way to link back.

To demonstrate, I have included one of my photos taken using the iPhone in the local Walmart.  As you (most likely) know, I am a Supply Chain and Operations Management professor. One of the things I teach is “service” and facility layout and design.  This photograph shows how our local Wal*Mart positioned their inventory in the floorspace prior to stocking–blocking access to much of the store (forcing you to walk around) and in one case, keeping you from purchasing their more expensive (and most likely higher margin) electric razors.

*sigh*

The Razors

Literally…

I took this photo on the 30th anniversary of the “event” that shook the US, if not the world.

I have been spending time up at the lake again, and enjoying the winter weather.  And, as usual, I have been making the rounds with my camera (the Sony Digital SLR Alpha 100.)

One of my goals is to photograph the area around Rose Valley Lake here in PA.  You can find many of my photographs from around Rose Valley on Flickr in the “Around Rose Valley” photoset.

I also have been continuing my exploration of HDR, or High Dynamic Range, imaging along with “tone mapping.”  While I have, in the past, used HDR and tone mapping to simply enhance the tonal range of an image to more closely match what the human eye can see, I have lately been exploring some of the more “intense” image manipulation options available.

Here are a few samples:

Taken actually out on the lake.

“Early in the Morning”

Starting the walk.

As we prepare for the Blue-White game, I thought I would share another picture I posted on flickr, the entrance to Gate E at Beaver Stadium. We Are… PENN STATE.

I thought, well, let’s have another image. You can find my photo work over at flickr with the user name, SCMProfessor.