Desktop App

A good application would be something that will allow you to emailed photo and videos from you cell phone or downloaded from you camera and quickly edit them and add music without getting too technical. I know that there is software that does editing but it would be nice to have something that involves just a drag and drop interface. I work with paint shop, gimp, and Sony Vegas to do my editing and it can sometimes get a little deep and complex. So, that is why I think something like this would be great. This will be something that anyone could use without any learning curb. It will also be able to format the media into any format with just a click of a button. There may be something similar this on the market already but I have not seen it.

jQuery

Draggable text using jQuery

Web App

The app that I chose to use is called Cooltext  http://www.cooltext.com/
It is a online line app that can only be used while on the the site and cannot be downloaded.
Cooltext is used to easily make text banners / logos and buttons. Once you have created your logo or button all you need to do is save it as a picture to your local drive or cooltext gives you the source code to put directly into your HTML page. I really did have that much interest in HTML until this class, it is a really cool thing to learn something and then use it to create and share with others. Cooltext is a site that I used before and now will likely be using it a lot more. What I also like about it is how simple it is to use and there are tons of fonts that you can down load and use on you own computer and it all for free.

The Aperture Setting

Last time a talked about the ISO this time I am going to talk about the aperture. The aperture is the size or opening on the lens of your camera that lets light in which is controlled by a diaphragm and set by the controls on the camera.  The opening of the diaphragm is measured by the f-stop f/1.4, f/2, f/3 and so on. The higher the f-stop the less light comes in the lower the f-stop the more light comes in.  Also with a lower f-stop you are going to get a faster exposure which is good for sporting events and capturing movement with minimal blur. One of the cool things that the aperture can change is the Depth of Field.

Basically the DOF is what is in focus and what is not in focus in front and behind of the subject. A high f-stop will the whole picture into focus but a low f-stop will keep the subject in focus but blur the background.  On my next post I will talk about the shutter speed and then discuss how all three (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO) work together.

The ISO Setting

A few weeks ago I posted some information on what may be the most important settings on a DSLR.  The ISO, stutter speed and aperture.  Today I will talk a little about the ISO.  The ISO setting is a part of or setting that controls the exposure of the image.  ISO is a measure of the sensor sensitivity to light. The best setting of the ISO is going to be low (50,100,200) which is going to produce low noise and a sharper image, but a low ISO need more surrounding light. This setting is great for outdoors.  A high ISO (800, 1600, 3200) needs less light and will have more noise and less shape. This high setting is good for indoors (dark) or where flash is not permitted.  So, to sum it up a high ISO is best used in low light situations. A low ISO is best used situations where light is not that big of an issue.  That’s it, not too much to it. One more thing to remember, changing the ISO does change the noise (grain) and the sharpness of the photo.  Play around with it in different lighting and see what works best for you.  Next time I will talk a little about the aperture and f-stop.  Till then have a great one.

CSS (Casding Style Sheets)

I know a little HTML but never really paid much attention to CSS (cascading style sheets). Now I know how important it can be in a website, it is a covenant way to change a page or a whole site with just a few tweaks.  It is a great tool to learn and I am looking forward to learning more about it. In my CSS page I used colors that an easy to the eyes, which helps in the page. I also used CSS to center the headings.  I am hoping that learning CSS in depth will help put creativity into pages I may create in the future

Three Things To Know When Using a DSLR

Upgrading to a Digital SLR from a Point and Shoot can be a great way to advance in your photography skills; unfortunately it can sometimes also become a bit confusing as well.

White Balance, noise, aperture, ISO and shutter speed are terms and settings that are all part of making a good photo. Becoming familiar with the settings on your DSLR is the first step in making a good photo into taking a great photo, but with so many settings where do you begin? In the next few weeks I will be posting information about the three most important settings for a DSLR, the aperture setting, ISO setting and the shutter speed. These settings are different from each other, but at the same time work together, changing one will affect the other. Like I said before, it can get a little confusing (at least it was for me) but with time and a lot of practice, you will be on your way to taking great photos. Yes, you can set your camera to one of the preset modes and let it determine it all, but what fun is that, and if that is the case, what is the point of upgrading to a DSLR anyways.