How I will celebrate this Christmas

As I was doing gardening yesterday, an elderly neighbour stopped and chatted with me. She told me how she enjoyed the Christmas decorations I have put up. To be honest I gave last year a miss, but I didn't tell her that. I remember now that this same neighbour has mentioned to me before how much she liked my Christmas tree.

Yesterday, this same neighbour told me that when we heard our carolling, she "felt sad". I don't know what she meant by that, but she said she felt like going into my house and join us. She would be most welcome, I told her. I think many older people reminisce about the good old days when the sound of carolling was everywhere. I think many people love to see Christmas decorations lighting up their street. It creates a holiday atmosphere for everyone.

Yes, I think I'll make it a point to put up my Christmas tree every year, because it is not just for me. It is also for my neighbours. I will make it a point to play the carols loud enough for my neighbours to hear. If a carolling team comes up the door, I'll make them sing long enough for the neighbours to enjoy. After all, what better opportunity is there to proclaim the birth of Christ to our neighbours?

Sharing photos in Dropbox

Whenever I take photos at a function, people often ask me to send their pictures to them. I used to think Facebook is good for this purpose, but due to privacy concerns, I now choose to do so via the "Photo" folder in Dropbox.

Facebook if great for sharing photos if you enjoy having your photos viewed by anyone and everyone. Many people are actually uneasy about this because it can potentially go viral. Also, many people feel that their safety is compromised by Facebook's endless linking of one person to another. Some people actually asked to have certain pictures deleted after viewing it, while others specifically asked for their photos not to be put on Facebook.

Dropbox, on the other hand,  is wonderful for sharing photos with ease and without encumbrances. When you sign up for an free Dropbox account, in addition to your own private folder, there is also a folder called "Photos". Create your own subfolder in here, copy the link (highlight subfolder>>Dropbox>>copy public gallery link), and email the link to your friends. Your friends can then view the photos easily, and choose to download any pictures they want and at the original resolution. You cannot navigate to any other subfolders (thus ensuring privacy), unlike sharing photos in any other online albums.

To see my sample photo subfolder, use this link I have copied: https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/27303918/1/20110831_sample%20photos?h=a052da

To see a full demo of Dropbox or to sign up for an account, go to:  http://db.tt/AdPBFQu

A lovely drive to a wedding

I attended a wedding yesterday. The venue was at a wedding reception area up in the Dandenong Ranges. The drive there was a treat in itself, just like another one I had attended before in another place in the Dandenongs. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect. Spring flowers cover the road shoulders, while the crispy clean air makes the greenery looks fresh and vibrant. The journey took about 40 mins, of which the last 20 minutes was a pleasant drive up the mountain road. By the time I reached there, I was already in the mood for a magical time. I must say a wedding reception that is preceded by a lovely drive certainly takes the cake. So if you are planning for a wedding, make sure the drive to the venue is a pleasant and memorable one!

What is good value?

Here is an excellent article which I'd like to rehash. The article is called "Factoring Value", written by Mike Johnston in The Online Photographer. The link to this article is: http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2011/08/factoring-value.html . 

Here it goes. The value of something depends on:

• Use—the more you use it, the greater the value. Ladies know that a handbag that goes along with any dress get more use, hence is more value-able, than one that is hard to match clothes.
• Results— anything that enables you to obtain the results you want will have some value.
• Longevity—durability of an item is good value only if you keep on using it. Unfortunately, the things we dislike most tend to be proportionately more durable than those we like.
• Payback—replacement batteries always cost a lot more at tourist hot spots. The retailers know that when you are out of battery, you are out of luck. An item will immediately have a heightened value when we urgently need it!
• Pleasure of ownership—the writer calls it the opposite of "a fool's economy" ("...you buy something cheaper than you wanted because it's more "responsible" or a better deal, but you don't get any pleasure out of owning or using it. In that way, a smaller, less costly, more "sensible" purchase can actually be more of a waste of money"). Unfortunately, too many people use this to justify spending more than they can afford.
• Resale value—car salesmen frequently use this in their sales pitch.
• The deal—I recently passed up an opportunity to buy a Panasonic GF1 on clearance at half the usual price. I was not shopping for a camera, but on hindsight this was one good value that I should have grabbed.

Think of something significant you have just bought. What value did you see in justifying the puchase? If you hit three of more of the above, you're on the dollar!

PDFCreator

Sometimes it is useful to be able to just create a softcopy output (i.e. a pdf file) instead of a printed copy. A softcopy can be readily emailed to other people, or stored in the computer to be printed at a later date.

One very useful freeware that can do this job is called PDFCreator. I have used this software for many years now. Once downloaded and installed on your computer, it will become your virtual printer. When you send a document to print, the selection of printers will include "PDFCreator". Selecting this option will enable you to preview the document, change setup (like landscape or portrait mode selection, etc), and save it to a designated location on your computer as a pdf file.

I have found this software to be very useful when I carry out transactions on the internet. Instead of printing a receipt, I just "print" it to my virtual printer and store the receipt as a softcopy.

To download the latest version of this software, go to: http://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

Here is the printer selection screen, with PDFCreator installed:

The craft of photography

Some people, including many photographers, regard photography as an art. As a photographer, I have always been uncomfortable with being labelled an artist. To me photography is more a craft than an art. As a craft, it lies somewhere between an art and a science. It is a skill that can be duplicated in most people, given the right equipment and the right instruction. It is not a unique ability. For example, when a model shoot has been set up, all the photographers shooting at the same model will end up with a similarly good image.

I like what Paul Robinson (an accomplished photographer) says: "(The craft of photography) is the skillful operation of equipment (camera and post-production) as well as the achievement of ideas gained during the process along with pre-visualized results. It also includes the basics of composition, lighting, colour, tone, and presentation."

The above is a wonderful summary of what photography is all about. In particular, I agree that post-production processing is a necessary skill. Without some skill in this area, one will not be able to join the ranks of those who exhibit in the most competitive salons in the world. I also like how Paul Robinson includes presentation as part of the craft of photography. Indeed everyone who practices this craft should have a showcase for his work. This could be prints, an online gallery, or perhaps a slideshow or a photobook.

Longevity moon cakes

Moon cakes are already on sale at the local Asian grocery shops two months before the Lantern Festival. The cakes seem to have perpetual shelf life. I imagine that it would take at least a month from the time of production in China or Hong Kong, importation into Australia, and finally arrival at the grocery shelf. Assuming they are still good for consumption a few weeks after the Lantern Festival, the moon cakes must have a shelf life of at least 4 months. Imagine the pastry and egg yolk being able to last that long; I could use some of the stuff they put in there to make my body last forever. Some foodstuff shouldn't really have expiry date - we will guarantee to expire before the foodstuff does.