Portrait of Eric
12/02/2005
International Shipping
I'm getting more and more international orders and the thing is - there's only two possible postal custom forms to fill out. One is big and white. The other small and green. So everytime I go to drop off the package at the post office (usually after waiting on a long line) the clerk tells me I've filled out the wrong form.
I mean - it's a fifty/fifty chance. I should be right once in a while.
And I always get the same clerk who seems to have all the time in the world. So I had asked him last time which form was for which. He told me the white form was for larger packages. Also, to make it more complex - I do try to save the customer at the other end the VAT tax or whatever and I'll mark the thing gift or sample sometmes with a low price, unless they've been a pain and then I just let it fly and let 'em pay.
So just back from P.O. and of course - wrong form again. I used the green small form but marked it sample. Oh, he says - sample means you need the big white form.
Well, what are the exact dimensions that make it want the big white form?
He's not sure, but since it's maked sample and looks like a sample package - it gets the big white one. I'm going to fool them next time and fill out both forms ahead of time and when he tells me I've got the wrong one - I'm going to produce the other one - with a flourish - and give him that since I'm convinced that he's doing this to mess with my head.
OR - I should go and check out their online site which will probably guide me to using the right forms and print the postage and all that.
Compared to the P.O. experience - FEDEX is a dream. Okay, back to packaging. Just had to get that off my cluttered chest.
I mean - it's a fifty/fifty chance. I should be right once in a while.
And I always get the same clerk who seems to have all the time in the world. So I had asked him last time which form was for which. He told me the white form was for larger packages. Also, to make it more complex - I do try to save the customer at the other end the VAT tax or whatever and I'll mark the thing gift or sample sometmes with a low price, unless they've been a pain and then I just let it fly and let 'em pay.
So just back from P.O. and of course - wrong form again. I used the green small form but marked it sample. Oh, he says - sample means you need the big white form.
Well, what are the exact dimensions that make it want the big white form?
He's not sure, but since it's maked sample and looks like a sample package - it gets the big white one. I'm going to fool them next time and fill out both forms ahead of time and when he tells me I've got the wrong one - I'm going to produce the other one - with a flourish - and give him that since I'm convinced that he's doing this to mess with my head.
OR - I should go and check out their online site which will probably guide me to using the right forms and print the postage and all that.
Compared to the P.O. experience - FEDEX is a dream. Okay, back to packaging. Just had to get that off my cluttered chest.
Lava Fields
National Crater Park
I guess I'll become a nature photographer for a while. Too busy to do any new shooting. Somewhere near Flagstaff, sometime in the last century. I justed wanted to try something with the VueScan software and this jumped up and said, "Scan me."
12/01/2005
Tree, Prospect Park
Tree, Prospect Park
About 15 years ago, I was with a friend who introduced me to an artist who lived in Brooklyn. We went out to Prospect Park. The two of them sat down and lit up the usual illegal substance that I was discovering all Brooklyn artists carry around. I had a few puffs and we went for a walk in the woods. I was carrying a heavy tripod and the Mamiya 6.
There was a small stream with a log across it. The two of them had been reading the don Juan sagas and wanted to find the warrior in themselves - or something like that. I hadn't read those books and was nervous about crossing the stream because I had been suffering from vertigo - which still comes and goes (some inner ear thing that was diagnosed as Labyrinthitis). I took a few steps onto the log and thought I'd fall in with the camera stuff. They were both on the other side already and laughing and shouting that I should concentrate on my naval and I'd find the courage to make the crossing. The illegal substance was making my vertigo worse.
When I concentrated on my naval I only found a great big coward lurking there. So I told them to go on ahead and I'd meet them later. I'm a great believer in finding the coward in yourself.
So off I went into these dark overcast woods. I wandered around - more paranoid than relaxed until finally I just sat down across from this tree. As I stared at it, I realized it was the only thing with even a dash of light around. There was a storm coming. Still somewhat dizzy - I setup the tripod and took this shot.
Later they came back and found me sitting peacefully against the same tree - the light now gone - sound of thunder in the distance. The artist was soaking wet and had fallen in on the way back. He blamed it on the divorce he was going through which had defeated his inner warrior.
I always liked the print - but I don't know if it communicates the mystery I felt about it or just looks like light on a tree.
Newton Ring
Hey, that was exciting. Got my first Newton Ring. Cool. I taped a 4 x 5 neg. to the glass.
One other thing: the d-max with the 1600 is 3.3, and with the 4990 it's 4.0. It is supported by VueScan. Still doing my research.
One other thing: the d-max with the 1600 is 3.3, and with the 4990 it's 4.0. It is supported by VueScan. Still doing my research.
11/30/2005
Quote of the Day
Blog Goblins & VueScan
I heard - el Bloggo was down. I told Heath that sometimes my ISP likes to delete files just to make life more interesting. Since you're reading this - it's up again.
* * *
All morning spent with VueScan. Yes. Quite the program. I still think I'm going to end up with the 4990, but maybe it isn't quite the rush I thought it was. One thing for sure, VueScan blows away the Epson scanner driver. And of course - I'm sure that Barrett mentioned it years ago to me but I'm a slooow learner. Or maybe it's that until I hit a brick wall, I don't start listening.
* * *
The only problem I had with VueScan and the 1600 is that when the negative was in the negative holder, the scan was soft. Also - you can't - at least I can't - figure out how to focus the scanner through VueScan since the Focus Title is always grayed out - which I figure means that the scanner itself doesn't support manual focus. What the scanner does have is a switch for setting whether the focus should be at Zero or 2-point something (the latter is for when it's in the negative carrier, i.e. the film is farther away from the scanning table).
Anyway - to make a long story longer - I just took the negative out of the holder and stuck it on the glass - and then the scan through VueScan was considerably sharper. (I'm not using any sharpening settings in VueScan, nor am I decreasing grain appearance etc.) All the sharpening is done post-scan. The other cool thing - is the RAW scan. What a concept. More later...
* * *
Thank you Barrett, Markus -- VueScan did the trick. I'm going to hold on to this 1600. Getting great results now.
* * *
All morning spent with VueScan. Yes. Quite the program. I still think I'm going to end up with the 4990, but maybe it isn't quite the rush I thought it was. One thing for sure, VueScan blows away the Epson scanner driver. And of course - I'm sure that Barrett mentioned it years ago to me but I'm a slooow learner. Or maybe it's that until I hit a brick wall, I don't start listening.
* * *
The only problem I had with VueScan and the 1600 is that when the negative was in the negative holder, the scan was soft. Also - you can't - at least I can't - figure out how to focus the scanner through VueScan since the Focus Title is always grayed out - which I figure means that the scanner itself doesn't support manual focus. What the scanner does have is a switch for setting whether the focus should be at Zero or 2-point something (the latter is for when it's in the negative carrier, i.e. the film is farther away from the scanning table).
Anyway - to make a long story longer - I just took the negative out of the holder and stuck it on the glass - and then the scan through VueScan was considerably sharper. (I'm not using any sharpening settings in VueScan, nor am I decreasing grain appearance etc.) All the sharpening is done post-scan. The other cool thing - is the RAW scan. What a concept. More later...
* * *
Thank you Barrett, Markus -- VueScan did the trick. I'm going to hold on to this 1600. Getting great results now.
11/29/2005
hex AFC3E8
I don't know what happened to me the last month. I became infatuated with this #AFC3E8 pale shade of blue. The whole site is slowly turning blue. What would you call it - China Blue? I also became overly infatuated with the ads to the point where I plastered them up on the sales pages. It didn't really seem to hurt sales but I removed them. They were ruining my own enjoyment of viewing the images.
My bedroom, as I remember it (probably faulty) was this shade of blue when I was a kid. So maybe it's some form of regression. I'm thinking that hex RGB colors might be good for domain names. Please visit #AFC3EB to view Dave's Blue Period.
I might go and get the Epson Scanner tomorrow. I don't usually act this fast with a piece of hardware but more and more of my medium format stuff is being ordered and and the 1600 is not up to the job. Besides, I have about 30 MF shots that I've never been able to do properly with the 1600. I'll let you know if I get it; how it works out; and then if anyone in New York wants to pick up the 1600 - let me know.
Everything has worked out well so far this season. I also have a couple of offers from retailers from various places around the country wanting to know if I'll sell prints wholesale. I have to figure that part out. Definitely cheaper mats (thanks for the mat tip John C.) if I'm going to do that sort of thing. As is it - I'm printing away as fast as I can. That will end in a week I'm sure and I'll be back to shooting. I see things all the time these days as I walk around - but don't want to think about shooting. I mostly think about ordering packaging supplies and drudgery like that lately. Should I get the 200 lb carton or the 150 lb carton.
The weird thing is that I seem to relish the rote work. Maybe it's a Zen thing. I don't know.
There's a passage in the new book by Frank McCourt (Teacher Man) where one of his students tells how he went to learn Karate and the teacher only told him to go and clean the toilets during the first session (which the kid did). Next week, the kid comes back and the Karate teacher tells him to clean the toilets again. Only after several weeks of this did the karate teacher begin to get into Karate technique. Zen, Zen, Zen. The sound of hands folding cartons and slapping tape around same.
P.S. Barrett recommended trying VueScan with the 1600. Wow. Very promising. That's what I call a driver.
My bedroom, as I remember it (probably faulty) was this shade of blue when I was a kid. So maybe it's some form of regression. I'm thinking that hex RGB colors might be good for domain names. Please visit #AFC3EB to view Dave's Blue Period.
I might go and get the Epson Scanner tomorrow. I don't usually act this fast with a piece of hardware but more and more of my medium format stuff is being ordered and and the 1600 is not up to the job. Besides, I have about 30 MF shots that I've never been able to do properly with the 1600. I'll let you know if I get it; how it works out; and then if anyone in New York wants to pick up the 1600 - let me know.
Everything has worked out well so far this season. I also have a couple of offers from retailers from various places around the country wanting to know if I'll sell prints wholesale. I have to figure that part out. Definitely cheaper mats (thanks for the mat tip John C.) if I'm going to do that sort of thing. As is it - I'm printing away as fast as I can. That will end in a week I'm sure and I'll be back to shooting. I see things all the time these days as I walk around - but don't want to think about shooting. I mostly think about ordering packaging supplies and drudgery like that lately. Should I get the 200 lb carton or the 150 lb carton.
The weird thing is that I seem to relish the rote work. Maybe it's a Zen thing. I don't know.
There's a passage in the new book by Frank McCourt (Teacher Man) where one of his students tells how he went to learn Karate and the teacher only told him to go and clean the toilets during the first session (which the kid did). Next week, the kid comes back and the Karate teacher tells him to clean the toilets again. Only after several weeks of this did the karate teacher begin to get into Karate technique. Zen, Zen, Zen. The sound of hands folding cartons and slapping tape around same.
P.S. Barrett recommended trying VueScan with the 1600. Wow. Very promising. That's what I call a driver.
Epson Scanner
Was this the scanner you guys were talking about a while back:
Epson Perfection 4990 Photo, 4800x9600 dpi
I need to get something better than the Epson 1600 I'm using now for scanning medium format negatives. I see it listed at B&H for $409. I've never been happy with the d-max of the 1600 for negatives. I'm too pooped to go back through the blog and look for what you said but I remember things like: it's almost as good / as good / as a drum scan. Things along those lines.
For $100 more you get:
"With an included professional software suite including LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai, the Epson Perfection 4990 Pro provides a total digital imaging system right out of the box. It also offers expansive color management with an IT8 target to consistently color match photos. And, it incorporates leading-edge image acquisition software for maximum scanning control, plus high-speed connectivity options."
Do I need any of this extra stuff?
Epson Perfection 4990 Photo, 4800x9600 dpi
I need to get something better than the Epson 1600 I'm using now for scanning medium format negatives. I see it listed at B&H for $409. I've never been happy with the d-max of the 1600 for negatives. I'm too pooped to go back through the blog and look for what you said but I remember things like: it's almost as good / as good / as a drum scan. Things along those lines.
For $100 more you get:
"With an included professional software suite including LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai, the Epson Perfection 4990 Pro provides a total digital imaging system right out of the box. It also offers expansive color management with an IT8 target to consistently color match photos. And, it incorporates leading-edge image acquisition software for maximum scanning control, plus high-speed connectivity options."
Do I need any of this extra stuff?
Hey Dave
what happened to that print you had of the guy walking through the gate in the snow by the river. i wanted to purchase it but can't find it anywhere. j.b.
That's my bad. When I began to redesign the site, a bunch of old prints got lost in the shuffle. Here you go:
The Road Ahead
That's my bad. When I began to redesign the site, a bunch of old prints got lost in the shuffle. Here you go:
The Road Ahead
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