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You Really Can Have Too Many Pictures

Posted on December 12, 2007 1:17 PM

I recently got a new Canon Digital Rebel XT. I got the new camera to replace the old Digital Rebel that bit the dust the day before we went on vacation this year. My favorite thing about these SLR cameras is how responsive they are. Every time I had to use my old Canon G1 on our trip I was painfully reminded of how great an SLR camera is. With most point-and-shoot cameras, you push the button to take the picture and some amount of time afterward, the camera captures the image. I can't speak for all point-and-shoot cameras, but with my old G1 the delay is unbearably long. When you are trying to take pictures of kids, that delay means that a lot of the time you don't get the picture that you meant to take.

Digital cameras in general are pretty cool, because you can take all the pictures that you want, and the pictures don't cost you anything until you get them printed. Using my website, I've shared just about every picture that I've ever taken. The last time I checked there were around 16,000 pictures.

My Rebel XT can take 3 pictures per second. That's pretty handy when you have a toddler that refuses to sit still for more than a couple shots. The problem I have is that I get a lot of pictures that are essentially duplicates. They are not exactly the same, but they're close enough that for most purposes it doesn't make a difference. This subject comes up now because it is getting very close to Christmas and if there is a time of the year to use the pictures that I've been taking all year, then this is the time. There are so many things that I would like to do with my pictures, but the idea of sifting through thousands of digital pictures to find the ones that are worthy of printing is daunting. I've also been studying some post-processing techniques for making my pictures look better. But when you have 500 pictures in one month to choose from it gets harder to figure out which pictures you want to spend some time on.

In the past I've had the attitude that it doesn't hurt to take a lot of pictures or to have duplicates but from now on I will start doing a better job of weeding out the less favorable pictures. If anything, I will make a point of showcasing the best ones of each batch. I've been working on rewriting the photos area of the site, and one of the changes that I will be adding is the ability to hide pictures, either because they are duplicates or they are unfavorable for some reason. Add/View Comments

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The Nerd Handbook

Posted on December 9, 2007 12:17 PM

If your significant other or someone you know is a nerd/geek type, then you may find The Nerd Handbook, an essay written by Michael Lopp on his site Rands In Repose, enlightening, or at the least entertaining. As I was reading it, I was impressed with how accurate his analysis of the "nerd" psyche is.

The Nerd Handbook

If you haven't read it already, his previous essay about what he calls N.A.D.D. is also amusing. Add/View Comments (1)

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Winter Is On Its Way

Posted on December 8, 2007 10:35 AM

Winter officially starts on December 22nd this year, but we already have snow on the ground. I took a cute picture of Taylor standing on the deck with my cellphone where you can see green grass in the background behind her. Just hours later, the ground was covered in snow. (Ok, I know calling it green grass is a stretch, but when it comes to my yard, standards are significantly lowered.)

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Shanghai Rummy

Posted on December 4, 2007 10:56 AM

When I was a kid, my family regularly got together to play a card game that we called "Shanghai" We would set up 2-3 tables in a family member's house, and play until every team of players had played every other team. I don't remember if we determined an overall winner. Everyone would bring food and the kids who were too young to play cards would find an area of the house to play children's games. The monthly card game is one of the more pleasant memories I have of my childhood.
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10 Useful Things You Can Do With Your Camera Phone

Posted on December 1, 2007 10:30 AM

You just got yourself a spiffy new cellphone that has tons of new features and you can't wait to use it. One of the things that it has is a camera. What all can you do with a camera in a cellphone, besides take goofy pictures of yourself and your friends after you've had a couple rum and cokes? Well, the great thing about having a camera in your cellphone is that you are very likely to have it with you. You may not always be walking around in public with your 7 mega-pixel digital camera, but you probably have your cellphone, if you own one. Here's what you can do with it in addition to taking candid pictures of your cat, or your brother's kid, or your brother's kid's cat.
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