Hi Peter,

strange.. they don't like being links as full strings either.. still, they work as C&P links.. better than nothing..

Cheers

Liam

Hi Ken,

would using the camera in portrait cure that to some extent? At the fastest speeds, the shutter would expose a thin sliver of horizontal action a bit at a time, rather than the top of the image being lagged behind the bottom of the image.. alter the perspective in PP.. so the horse isn't shown as elongated..

or am I talking out of my hat as usual???

Cheers

Liam

Hi duroo.. and Clarky,

I've done a couple of weddings, so a few hints to make it easier for you on the day.

For the formal piccys, collar the best man to organise the crowds. Check with the B&G as to what groups they want, then tell the best man. You stand there while he gets people into the right area, and then you just have to move them the last foot or two, and get them to smile...

Have the groups written down, in the order that you want to take them. This usually means starting off with a couple of the B&G, then adding a few people at a time. Then subtract a few people at a time until you just have the B&G left. If you get it right, you only have to move everybody once or twice..

eg....

B&G
B&G + B parents
B&G + B parents + G parents

keep adding people, until you get the big group shots.

...then move them away in the opposite order..

B&G + B parents + G parents
B&G + G parents
B&G

There'll be a few other shots of course, but as people have only moved into, and out of shot once so far, they'll be happy enough to pose a couple more times.. and if the best man has organised the guests well enough, you've got all the above done in 10 minutes or so.. so very little boredom factor yet.

The first wedding I did, I think there may have been only a handful of other cameras there. Now, everyone will have one of some description. Somehow you have to convince them to look at you and not Auntie Hilda. The last one I did, I got very good at moving eyes in PP..

It's a little more difficult as you are going abroad, but try to get as much time as you need at the venues, to work out what you're going to be doing. If this is, as I'm assuming your first wedding shoot, you'll almost certainly be a little nervous. That's natural. You probably don't get nervous at work, because you know what you're doing.. same with a wedding pro.. it's his job.

You won't be a pro after one wedding, but you can minimise the nerves, and make sure it all goes smoothly, by spending as much time planning what you are going to do throughout the day, as you can. Write it down, and stick it on the back of the tripod, or in your shirt pocket, and refer to it when ever you need to. You'll look organised, and won't turn into a gibbering wreck, when you forget what's next.. I know I did the first time..


If it tips it down with rain, you'll need to be prepared to take the formal shots in probably the building set up for the reception. Remember this will have tables and chairs everywhere. You'll need to scout a location in there that will be big enough to do the biggest group shot. If there isn't one, then there isn't.. but warn the B&G before hand if that's the case. They'll either suggest somewhere else, or you might be able to.. or they'll just accept it, but tell them early on!

Once they've had a beer and a bit of scoff, the jackets and ties will be gone, so get ALL formal stuff done before they sit down for the meal..

If you're lucky with the weather, then you'll know where the group shots are going to be done outside. If there's no danger of it being nicked, put the tripod out roughly where you'll be standing for the group shots, beforehand. When they roll out on masse, hopefully, they'll stay behind that line, so you don't have to keep moving people out of the way.

Finally, for pictures of kids.. get them to close their eyes, count to three with them, tell them to open their eyes when you say smile, then as they open up all at once, take the shot.

Oh, and above all, enjoy it..

Cheers

Liam

Hi all,

I bought two of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEMORY-CARD-CASE-for-Secure-Digital-SD-Card-Holder_W0QQite...

SD card cases from ebay (the same guy I've linked to), and I can't recommend them enough. I have seven 1gB SD cards, so the empty ones go in one case, and as I fill them up, transfer to the other. A sticky label or marker pen can differentiate the two. I find it far easier than the separate cases that get suppied with the cards.

They also do cases that hold 4 CF cards

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEMORY-CARD-CASE-for-4pcs-Compact-Flash-CF-Card-Holder_W0Q...

as well.

Just thought I'd point them out, and at £3 including postage, not the most expensive accessory you'll but this year..

Cheers

Liam

Disclaimer. I didn't get a penny for this plug..

Cheers Chris,

I've updated the frames from your values now.. much better..

Cheers

Liam

Hi Dan,

I decided that for the moment, I would just offer three mount colours, and expand as needed. I've chosen Black, Ivory and White. They seem to be the most popular ones out there for sale.

I'm no decorator, so my choice of wall colours will have to be modified, along with a more realistic graphic for the frames, (hence not clearing up a couple of mistakes there) but the techy bits are mostly done now..

As far as making sure that they get what they order, I'll be using Paypal, and I can just have a different product ID for each mount choice/image combination. I'll put the shopping basket in an appropriately coloured div, so there should be no mistake.. probably..

http://www.liamsworld.org.uk/framemounts/index.html

I think it works fairly well. You'd click a link from the main image page for the image you want to check out here. I only have to change the source image and rename the page, for every image on the site, so easily repeatable and updateable. I'm going to have a play, and see if I can't just have the central container change colour now, leaving the outer sections of body in the main site colour.. whatever that ends up being. Once I've got it all built in pieces on the Liamsworld site, I can then bolt it together on the new site.. may as well save a months hosting..

Now to find a realistic gold and silver for the frames.. I'll add a white frame as well, so it should cover most eventualities.

Now.. where did I leave my GIMP.. ah ha... here boy..

Cheers

Liam

Darn it,, I thought I replied earlier..???????????

I can't remember everything I said, so basically thaks all..

Dan,

I've had a play, with your suggestions.. crap graphics, but it was the effect I was trying..

http://www.liamsworld.org.uk/cssgalleryframemounts/index.html

seems not to work in IE or Opera, but you'll get the idea in FF or safari.

Off for a beer now..

Oh, nice music Dan, I'll have to try and get to a gig sometime, and thanks for the link Chris. I wish I'd posted the reply from earlier.. far more comprehensive..

Cheers

Liam

Hi Father,

no, I'm not that good, I wish I was..

I collaborated with a guy called Vic Philips, who wrote a script for me, for a children's learning game.. (like most of my stuff, just another work in progress..)

http://www.liamsworld.org.uk/alphagame.shtml

I've cobbled together some of it for this. As I said, there will be a little dock in the middle of the page to put the choices together in the future. This is two hours into it, so it may well change considerably, dependant on time and ideas. Except for a few standard sizes and colours, I'll be cutting the mounts to order anyway, so it can be pretty loose in regard to descriptions.

I just have to work out charges.. I'm not what you'd call a mercenary fellow, so that does seem to be the biggest bugbear at the moment. It's late now, so I'll post tomorrow what I think are fair prices, going on what I've seen for sale. I'd like some input from people, if I may on whether the charges are good, bad or indiffernt.

Bed calls....

Cheers

Liam

Hi all,

I'm soon going to be selling my work online, and it will be various sizes supplied with frame mounts. I had this wizard idea of letting people choose their picture, then whichever style of mount that they'd like, and that they could then match to their existing decor.

Shades of Beige/Magnolia/Buttermilk etc. adorn the walls of this country, so the example below is for that.. although I hope to have a script in place, so you can choose any colour you want as the background. I've bodged up four mounts, and four pictures just as examples.

It's obviously the early stages of a work in progress.. but hopefully you can get the general idea of what I'm trying to do. Just choose your picture, and drag it into the (as yet undefined, it'll actually be a dock eventually) plain area in the middle, then just drag the mounts onto the image until you find the one you like, and that suits the wallpaper/paint in the living room.

http://www.liamsworld.org.uk/mrdarcy/frameops.html

Just thought I'd mention it, seeing as I've spent the last 2 hours doing it..

You may also see that I've revealed my surname in the link.. not that I've ever kept it a secret.. just to add, I've never owned a piar of breeches in my life..

Cheers

Liam

Cheers Matt,

now my EXIF info can be small but perfectly formed..

Malo,

after Matt found the solution to that, I've expanded it for font colour as well.

Red Text [ color=red:1 ]Red Text[ /color:1 ]

Blue Text [ color=blue:1 ]Blue Text[ /color:1 ]

Yellow Text [ color=yellow:1 ]Yellow Text[ /color:1 ]

Green Text [ color=green:1 ]green Text[ /color:1 ]

Turquoise Text [ color=#00eebb:1 ]Turquoise Text[ /color:1 ] Using hexadecimal notation.



Same idea, but just substitute the above. Just have to get rid of the spaces I've put inside the [ ]. As you can see from the last colour, it also works with HTML colour codes. Sadly though, you are limited to only 16,777,216 choices of colour using this method, but it should cover you for the basics at least..

Haven't sussed out changing the font yet though.. but it may be possible..

Cheers

Liam