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.

Social Media

It can be said that the internet and social media is making us more isolated as a people. This is a statement that I will stand by but, with the popularization of social sites in the late few years it’s hard to say that this type of networking is only a fad with users that number in the millions in the US and the rest of the world. If it is true that social networking is making us more isolated that really doesn’t seem to be stopping its momentum. Today it seems that everyone has some sort of twitter or facebook.  Twitter a word unheard of just a few years ago now it is part of our culture like it or not. I don’t want to be a stick in the mud but I do not like it, that feeling may change in the future but I highly doubt it and that’s that.

The Canon T2i

The Canon T2i is the latest in the Canon Rebel series (actually Canon just came out with the T3i). The Rebel series are cropped sensor cameras, with 18.0 megapixels.  The T2i offers high image quality and detail. The ISO is 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) which makes it great for low light photography, it also has a 3.0 LCD display. I just recently purchased one I love it. One of the coolest thing about it is it has 1080 full HD video. This camera is really easy to use and has basic setting that let the camera determine the ISO and aperture which can be helpful to beginners. One thing that I do recommend is not going with the kit lens (18-55) which is basically junk, instead save your money and go with something with a little more quality. Overall I would highly recommend this camera especially if you are new to photography.

Jpeg vs. Raw

 I am new to photography but one of the first things I learned was the important differences of a raw file and a jpeg file.  First I will talk a bit about the raw file. This type of file (when compared to a jpeg) is going to be bigger in size. This is because the raw file is untouched by compression. Basically with a raw file it’s like having a clean slate to work with (unlike a jpeg file) that is preformatted sort of speak. One of the draw backs of a raw file is the size but with today’s large capacity memory cards that are cheaply priced, I feel that it is something that can be overlooked. Another thing that must be kept in mind is that when shooting in raw it slows the camera down because of the files large size being put into the memory. So, are you planning to shoot photos and do a lot of correcting/ tweaking in Photoshop then shoot in raw. If your goal is to just shoot a picture and enjoy it, then let the jpeg do all the work.

Embedded Image

Music and the Internet

The music industry is clearly just one of many areas that have been impacted considerably by the Internet. From music sales to how people are discovered to music sharing, all have been lead in a new direction thanks to the Internet. Example, the convenience we have in downloading music or one particular song from an album without have to purchase the whole album. Another great way that the internet has helped the direction of music is the ability to stream music from around the world which opens new windows to different genres.

The internet has helped music for music, and at the same time it has without doubt hurt it as well, but who is really getting hurt. Is it the capitalist record companies, or the over rated artist that rakes in millions in over priced CD’s?

Embeded Video

Entertainment and the internet

The internet has definitely changed the world as we know it today. Entertainment is just one of many areas that has dramatically felt this change. With just a computer and internet connection we have the potential to spend unlimited hours of surfing, reading, gaming, learning and list can go on. Where else can you learn all that needs to be learned about a particular subject or get the latest gossip on your favorite celebrity right from the comfort of your home or anywhere you can get an internet connection for that matter.

My opinion is that the internet/www has helped us a great deal and over the last 15 years has even helped part in shaping our current culture, but with saying that there is also a dark side which is something that we all need to take into consideration, from aggressive advertisement to internet scams it’s all part of the game of taking the good with the bad.

Adding An Image To A Blog Post

Ian Curtis (July 15, 1957-May 18, 1980) was the songwriter, lyricist and singer of the English band Joy Division
"love will tear us apart" was written by Ian to oppose The captain and Tenille "love will keep us together"

Links To Other Sites

This post shows some examples on the usefulness of links to other sites.

Click here to go to my neighbor's blog

I'm learning how to create hyperlinks and I learned it at this site annunzitao.org

Here are a few sites that I like and some that are used for referance

Webopedia is a great site for IT references and terms.

Compurtr Hope is another great site that I use often.

Music is a big  part of my life and Joy Division is a band that I have listened to since the early 80's.

Expectations For This Course

My hope is to of course learn new things but to also learn things that I maybe know about but never took into consideration the benefits they may have to offer. I know a little HTML so I am also hoping that this class will help expanded that knowledge a little better as well.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Ray Cabello and I live in the Dallas area here in Texas.  This year will be my second with UMASS and its really going great. I love the convenience that online education has to offer, and in large part was the reason that I chose to work towards my degree with UML.
In my free time I  play the guitar and just started to learn about photography which is more challenging then I thought.