Category: [a] WebSites we like

Urgent–help needed for Hero

Sawadee Khrap

CaptureMy friend Jim, in Chiang Mai   alerted me to this urgent need.  Here’s a true hero who needs our help.

Chaa Nay Choo,  Karenni refugee Camp, Mae Surin.

Please read the story and if at all possible please donate a few dollars for his care and recovery – as you can see it only takes a pittance -  30,000 Baht  or US$ 1,000  for his immediate care  – help us reach the goal and ease his and his family’s suffering.

Donations can also be made online through PayPal. Simply go to www.paypal.com and send a donation of any amount to donate@thebestfriend.org. Again, please include a note explaining if you would like your donation to be used for Chaa Nay Choo specifically, or for the Karenni refugees in general. 

It’s sad we can’t help them all  – but here’s one chance to help a young man who was injured helping others. He deserves a chance.

Ciao

Perspective – Set it straight – Carspace

Sawadee Khrap

I have been studying a terrific free course in drawing in perspective by Matt Kohr from CTRL+Paint – this is so crucial in paintings, drawings and Capture2creating realistic photomontages in Photoshop. And his web-page lead me to Warren’s program. What a life saver – now with Matt’s study principals and Carspace , all I have to do is to get proficient with it and use it on every image I produce – correct perspective – next I have to study shadows, the second most important aspect to making believable and realistic scenes.

So every once in a while I find a software that is a killer.   I hope I have some readers who are artists and are interested in how to calculate perspective for their drawings or how to create a perspective grid for an existing photograph.   To the rescue -  Warren Marshall  from Epic Games  released  CARSPACE perspective software (freeware)Capture

Capture3

 

Hope you find these tutorials and software helpful.

Ciao 

Correction,Correction–NOT INDIA–Bangkok

Sawadee Khrap

My God, I’m sorry for not doing more checking before I posted the video about the “Railroad Market” –  “POST #  Vegetable Market in India”     just used the info I received.

And many thanks to  Moses from “Bangkok Tours” for pointing it BK toursout.  The world’s Most Dangerous Market

 IT IS IN  MAE KLONG – near BANGKOK, THAILAND  !!!!

CaptureI am also amazed that they picked this up so fast and sent me a comment to correct my posting … Thanks Moses.

Make sure you check out their website and services – “Gay Tours” are included and sound wonderful.  I don’t know anyone there and I haven’t taken any tours yet but their website is very professional and offers a great array of adventures  (Gay Adventures) too .

Ciao

Amazing Lightroom–must have for Trips

Sawadee Khrap

Adobe’s Lightroom is a must have program for any photographer – or traveler who takes photos for that matter.Capture  And if your camera doesn’t have a built in Geo Tracker – then you can use your smart phone to record the tracklog and have Lightroom sync the photos.

I used GPS Essentials (free) with my Galaxy II to record my trip today and took 84 images with the Canon D7 (no GPS) around Pattaya Beach and Walking Street – loaded the images and tracklog into Lightroom and above is the results – in blue is my route and each of the photos have been set to the correct location automatically. – and very accurate too.

The route, shown in blue, also shows the car route I used to get there and back ( no images tagged).   I store the tracklog in the same directory as the original images, so I now have a permanent record of the trip.

Here is a      *******  SLIDESHOW *******  of some of the images taken during the walk.

I am going to plan more excursions and will use this system to record each trip – and put a copy, like above, in each slideshow –

GREAT – try it, for the traveler it’s invaluable.

Ciao

Gay Angels – fight Prostate Cancer

Sawadee Khrap

THEY PROVED IT — "Gay men weren’t just put on this earth for their fashion flair, impeccable taste and creativity," said Jones. "They’re cancer-fighting angels that need to be encouraged, celebrated and, above all, appreciated."Capture

So get out there and fight cancer – tell your friends – form a group –

SAVE THE WORLD FROM PROSTATE AND TESTICULAR CANCER

FREE US OF THIS DREADED DISEASE

Ciao

Amazing new Photographic venue

Sawadee Khrap

Just got back from exploring “Art In Paradise” a 3-D art gallery designed so people can become part of the art. Amazing place and great paintings and illusions. The museum features ten galleries – the Camouflage Room, Under the Ocean Room, Wildlife Room, Classical Art Room, Civilization Room, Surrealism Room, Dinosaur Room, Waterfall Room and the Scenery Room.  Tickets are reasonable and no pushing to speed you out.

I didn’t take any time to adjust for lens distortion or perspective – just ran in, got some samples, and out.

*******SLIDESHOW******

For example – these two people (photo #2) just happened to be trying out this scene – I was on the second floor looking down so the illusion is not the same but you can get the idea – would look natural in the shot below – _MG_9543_MG_9627 What possibilities are possible, especially when I can combine Photoshop to replace the models with more erotic and personal poses in the studio that could not have been done at the gallery.

_MG_9497Check out their website – now I can’t wait till I can take some models and visit this museum and Nong Nooch Garden (get some shots to use for perspective) and then some studio sessions with the guys.  Two great photographic venues – I will be busy

Ciao

Pattaya City Expats Club

Sawadee Khrap

Here would be the best 400 Baht membership you can get in Pattaya.pcec   The Pattaya City Expats Club.  They meet every Sunday – 11:00 AM. at the Amari “Tavern by the Sea”.    Membership only 400 Baht/yr  – member benefits 20% off many restaurants, special discounts at local hospitals, special insurance programs too.  Breakfast buffet offered first at 9:30 or so, great value at 220 Baht, and excellent, favorable, and always fresh items.  Each week new featured speaker on topics worth the trip.

They are starting a photographic group and I will probably offer to do some minor classes on Lightroom and Photoshop.  

If your in Pattaya, be sure and stop by and check out a meeting

Ciao

Too much time on the beach

Sawadee Khrap

WOW, I must be spending too much time on the beach and not watching enough TV – I’ve been missing the funniest show I have seen – “Just for laughs – Gags”   Here is one of the series from posted on YouTube:  Click on the image to view the movie.

Capture

 

This one was viewed by over 44 million people  ******  And I just saw it.  Gott’a stay home more often and stay tuned.  In any event , you have to check them out  if you haven’t seen them before – just search YouTube for more.    Don’t miss out like I did.

Ciao

Diversity

Sawadee Khrap

Here are a couple of diverse techniques. IMG_6478-Edit-Edit

_MG_3986-Final-Paintt 

I love the photo of the little boy from the refugee camp, great shot of determination, climbing obstacles.  More of a outline and cartoon effect but I think it adds a degree of importance to the shot.  And the second is a painting effect utilizing greater brush stroke definition than the ones I did before. 

Sunday I went to my first meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club and plan to go back next week – Sunday’s meeting had a nature photographer (ian Frame) showing his work – great presentation of macro work in the insect world.  The club is also trying to re-spark their Photo Group and for it I volunteered to present some information on using Lightroom and Photoshop.  We’ll see what happens and post later.  

In addition there is also a Pattaya Expats Club  meeting at the same time each Sunday – not sure who broke from who, I’ll get that info and let you know.  I’ll try to attend this group in a couple of weeks.

A lot is going on, getting my schedule filled again – relaxing on the beach is nice but the chairs are starting to make my back ache , so I also need to get back to my stretching exercises. – always something,

Ciao