Some of you may be aware that I aspire to be a good picture taker. I occasionally succeed with some stunning pictures, but I am sure a better eye and understanding of the nuances of all the myriad camera settings could only enhance the result (that, and having camera with at all times!).
Of course, some pictures can be helped with the suite of photoshop tools available. Who of us does not need to lighted/darken a picture, rotate or crop it? Recently I have discovered 2 things that I want to add to my repertoire of tools. HDR and image stitching.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) can be tricky, and really only works well with a tripod and static pictures. In essence, you take several pictures, at different exposures, and then combine the best of all the images. The results can subtly enhance your picture, or be quite dramatic. I have only begun my road towards working with this method, with some success.
Image stitching - if you ever want to have your pictures put to poster, you will find that even today's high mexapixel cameras won't get you there without some graininess. One solution is to take mutliple pictures, and use softare to stitch them together. Here is one stunning example of what can be achieved.
If any of you has had success with toolsets that help automate these processes, please, feel free to share. I am currently on the free kick, so am using GIMP for HDR work. Stitching is harder, and am working with a trial version of Panograph.
I will share more with you as I have successes and failures to report.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Inter-Galactic Travel - part II
Last year I posted this very scientific sounding argument that intergalactic travel was pretty much impossible. The gist was that we best not even try, our puny speeds and the phenomenal distances preclude reaching any destination other than the void of space within one's lifetime.
Now, the interesting thing is that I was right, but for all the wrong reasons. That and nary a soul out there thought to challenge me.
So where did my reasoning fail? Turns out I was thinking like Newton, and not Einstein. By Newton, my math was impeccable. But Einstein, had he heard me spout my logic, would have turned in his grave. Via Lorentz contractions, which come from the universal speed of light, the universe in my direction of travel starts to compress like a pancake. That is to say, what used to be 10, 100 or more light years distant, is suddenly much closer. Ergo I get there faster.
But... and there is always a but - there is also this time dilation thing - so that time flows much slower for me - meaning that even if I have the technology, by the time I got back home, I would have missed more than dinner. I would have likely skipped a good number of generations. History would have listed me with a small footnote - "lost in space".
Actually - there is worse. Much worse. We all know space is not very friendly to life, what with a dearth of water and air. But turns out space is downright hostile to life - with cosmic rays and myriad other radations that would certainly cause a *little* problem. Sorta like living under an X-ray machine. Probably not the best for one's health, if you get my meaning. So you say, just add a little shielding... but did you know a meter of lead would not even be close to enough, especially if I am out travelling for years or decades? And if I need to shorten my trip, I go faster, but the faster I go, the more energetic (damaging)these pesky rays get. Catch 22.
So you see, I was right - we best get our jolly's from watching Sci-Fi. Just don't hold me to this, maybe one day someone will discover some fancy physics that will allow what today seems impossible.
Now, the interesting thing is that I was right, but for all the wrong reasons. That and nary a soul out there thought to challenge me.
So where did my reasoning fail? Turns out I was thinking like Newton, and not Einstein. By Newton, my math was impeccable. But Einstein, had he heard me spout my logic, would have turned in his grave. Via Lorentz contractions, which come from the universal speed of light, the universe in my direction of travel starts to compress like a pancake. That is to say, what used to be 10, 100 or more light years distant, is suddenly much closer. Ergo I get there faster.
But... and there is always a but - there is also this time dilation thing - so that time flows much slower for me - meaning that even if I have the technology, by the time I got back home, I would have missed more than dinner. I would have likely skipped a good number of generations. History would have listed me with a small footnote - "lost in space".
Actually - there is worse. Much worse. We all know space is not very friendly to life, what with a dearth of water and air. But turns out space is downright hostile to life - with cosmic rays and myriad other radations that would certainly cause a *little* problem. Sorta like living under an X-ray machine. Probably not the best for one's health, if you get my meaning. So you say, just add a little shielding... but did you know a meter of lead would not even be close to enough, especially if I am out travelling for years or decades? And if I need to shorten my trip, I go faster, but the faster I go, the more energetic (damaging)these pesky rays get. Catch 22.
So you see, I was right - we best get our jolly's from watching Sci-Fi. Just don't hold me to this, maybe one day someone will discover some fancy physics that will allow what today seems impossible.
Friday, October 9, 2009
You will laugh or you will cry...
Just returned from a lovely vacation - to our usual north shore retreat. On our last leg of the journey home we breakfasted at Amazing Grace. Picked up a local paper - the Duluth News Tribune. While I can't be certain, it is likely a fairly progressive read, much like the town that publishes this.
Please note I redacted the name
It seems the divides that have always existed between conservative & liberal, democrat & republican, black & white, are deeper today than anytime in my short history. When congressmen yell "You lie!", when commentators refer to Bill as calm (can you tell I am ignoring the truthful part?), and pundits such a Bill and Rush want your and my U.S of A to fail in order to get to say "I told you so" - we are in need of someone who works to mend fences, both within and without our borders. It gives me great joy that Obama can join the ranks of such as Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa as a leader recognized around the world as promoting peace and unity. About time.
Holly spotted a comment on some prior editorial. I think I spit my coffee out laughing. In retrospect however, I think maybe I should have reacted with concern. Here, for your own "enjoyment", a picture of said comment.
Please note I redacted the name of the commenter, to save him/her
the embarrassment. And while I have
no information on the "unbalanced"
editorial referenced, I certainly have
never hear of Bill O'Reilly as being calm.
I am fairly certain, in fact, that Bill would
be more than a little offended to have
anyone think that his rants are in any
way "calm".
It seems the divides that have always existed between conservative & liberal, democrat & republican, black & white, are deeper today than anytime in my short history. When congressmen yell "You lie!", when commentators refer to Bill as calm (can you tell I am ignoring the truthful part?), and pundits such a Bill and Rush want your and my U.S of A to fail in order to get to say "I told you so" - we are in need of someone who works to mend fences, both within and without our borders. It gives me great joy that Obama can join the ranks of such as Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa as a leader recognized around the world as promoting peace and unity. About time.
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