Gee Dub's blog ^pro

What is the best monitor for use by photographers?

I know that this is a loaded question and there probably won't be a singe answer. My old 19" CRT is starting to flicker and jump around a bit so I guess it's time to look for a new monitor. When I start researching what is out there it gets real confusing very fast. High resolution 24" LCD flat screens are pretty reasonable in price these days. I was figuring on getting something in a $300 range. I've been putting this off for awhile as I really like my work 22" NEC Multisync CRT. Many people at work have upgraded to flat screens but every one I've seen can't match my CRT.

I started looking at some photography sites that had things to look for from a photographers point of view. The biggest concern is if you are going to print your photos. Unfortunately for most low cost monitors you are NOT going to get out what you see on your monitor. In the past I just bought the cheapest model with as a big screen as I could get for home. I have to be careful about editing as my work monitor and home monitor are so different. The edit looks good at home but when I look at it at work I wonder why it is so dark or have a different tone. The photo sites say you really should have a good monitor, it's as important as having a good lens. If you don't have a good calibrated high quality monitor you are going to be wasting a lot of print paper running test strips.

I started thinking where could I get good unbiased opinions on monitors. Why not Ipernity? Surely most members here have run into this problem. Is it really that important? Are there any good LCD models that don't cost a arm and a leg and can be calibrated properly for photography work?

If you have recently purchased a new monitor or have a strong opinion on monitors I'd love to hear it. Should I hold off and wait to the next generation of LED LCD's come down in price (some reviewers are calling these better than high end CRT's?

In mid August I took 4 holiday day cruise to Mexico. The voyage was to Catalina Island (off the coast of California) and Ensenada Mexico. Lots of things to see and do and great food all day long. I met a lot of nice people and had a great time. Paradise was the name of the ship and is part of the Carnival Cruise Lines.

We departed Monday evening from the port of Long Beach California.

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0086…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0550…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0584b…

Tuesday Morning we arrived at Catalina Island. Just 26 miles from Long Beach. Catalina has a long history of being a popular retreat from the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The port of Avalon with the Casino has been popular since the 1930's. Building on the island has been restricted to this small town. A charming town with quaint shops and excellent restaurants. We took an inland tour and saw American Bison (mistakenly called buffalo by many) grey fox and red tailed hawks. the island waters are a great place to snorkel or fish. Sunbathing on Avalon Beach is also very popular.

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1127…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1337…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1894…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1139…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1473…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 2132h…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 1399…

We sailed overnight to the coastal port town of Ensenada, Mexico. This small Mexican town has been a popular tourist spot for people from California for over 100 years. The popular tequila-based cocktail Margarita was invented there. I first visited this town over 40 years ago and much has not changed. We took an inland tour to The Blowhole or La Bufadora and a local winery. The La Bufadora was very beautiful, one of only 3 in the world. The winery was just so-so but located near the downtown shopping center. we ate lunch at El Charro where they had fresh roasted chicken tacos and hand made fresh of the grill tortillas, highly recommended.

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0252…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 2287…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0456b…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 3146…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 3245…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 3662…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 4157…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0503…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 2956…

The last day of our cruise was called "A Fun Day At Sea". On this day most people just the day top side at the pool and enjoyed the clear sunny day reading, relaxing or sunbathing. I of course spent much of the time walking around the ship taking photos capturing candid moments of fellow shipmates enjoying the last day of the cruise.

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0561…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0769…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 4355…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0731…

Carnival Paradise Cruise #5 52…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0467…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 5119…

Carnival Paradise Cruise 5186…

We returned to Long Beach Friday morning finishing a great vacation with a wonderful sunrise!

Carnival Paradise Cruise 0852…

I took a lot of photos and will continue to post to my latest album for several more weeks. Please stop by to see this wonderful photo album of a great 4 day cruise.

Here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/144563

You Know You Are A Ipernity Junkie When......

• You are the admin to over 25 groups.
• You have over 10,000 docs posted.
• Ipernity is the first web site you log on to in the morning and the last when you turn it off at night. Every day.
• You become depressed when someone leaves your group.
• You sneak over to check on your Ipernity messages on your work computer.
• You spend more time talking to your friends on Ipernity than you do your wife (spouse)
• You worry that the translator to foreign languages will put something that will make you look stupid.
• You worry when you drop your naked wife's photos into the public Kit Kat Klub for kittens group that requires admin approval so you can't remove the submission.
• You make a new topic for discussion in a group and you are the only who replies.
• You plan where you go on vacation around that they have free web access.

You get the drift. Tell me what makes YOU think you are a Ipernity Junkie?

I'm not saying I have all of these symptoms or that you are a junkie if you have one or more them.

I will add new symptoms as you suggest them.

• You see something that would be great to post and regret you don't have your camera with you.
• You tell your wife "5 more minutes" and it turns into 2 hours at 2am in the morning on a work day.
• Shower... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... Breakfast...iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... Lunch... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... Dinner... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... iPerMail... Recent Activity... Groups... Bed... Thinking about skipping the shower, lunch, and bringing the laptop to the bedroom tomorrow!
  
  
  
  

I am in the process of uploading images taken during the AVP (American Volleyball Professions) tournament held in Manhattan Beach California. Manhattan Beach is one of several beach communities that ring the coastal area around Los Angeles. The weather was great at the beach where the temperatures were 10 - 15 degrees cooler than the city where temperatures were in to high 90's.

Here's a little info about pro volleyball and the AVP taken from their web site:

Manhattan Beach is considered by many as "the granddaddy" of the AVP Crocs Tour. Players say once you win in Manhattan Beach, you really have made it on the AVP Tour.
This album contains images taken on the day of the semi-finals.

Follow this link to learn more about the history of Pro Beach volleyball.
<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/beach-volleyball-history.html">http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/beach-volleyball-history.html</a>

This is a special event with some of the top professional beach volleyball players in the world compete. I went on Saturday where the view from the pier bleachers was free. A great spot for shooting with my 70-300mm lens. I shot mainly the women players as the men are just too fast and hard to catch good shots. The women generally have long rallies and for me excellent bodies. The skill and athleticism is phenomenal.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

In addition to all the great volleyball players there was the cheerleaders to entertain between the matches.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

For those not interested in volleyball there was surfing.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

Or bike riding.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

Or work on your tan.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

Or some girl watching.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

It was one of my better days covering a sporting event. I have so many good images that I will be posting for several weeks. Many of the better ones have yet to be posted.

Here are a few of my early favorites.

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

AVP Manhatten Beach California…

I am a member of a group called Funny Pics. A member of the group wanted to know what was funny about some of my postings. I think he just honestly wanted to know why I thought some of my posts were funny. He didn't see the humour in them. I don't think he was criticizing why I posted them, just wanted to know what was funny.

Here is his post:

funny or not funny, that's the question ?

waiting of your funny answer, and already laughing :O)

Here was my reply:

As to what is funny and not, as XXXX says, it depends on the individual. Certainly it will often depend on how one looks at a situation. Sometimes it doesn't translate in the image from the actual experience as the image was taken.
In response to the images listed.
!. Man with bike. This was funny to me because of this macho guy had a purse and a girls bike. I thought this unusual and a little funny.
2. Girls in stands. This was at a very exciting sporting event and they seemed quite bored with it all. Not even looking where all the action was like all the other fans.
3. Man and bus. Here I thought the guys expression was funny as he became aware that I was taking his photo.
4. Sexy girl on street. Here the juxtaposition between the sexily dressed woman walking down the crowded street with the Holly Bible signs all over the place was humorous.

Certainly some photos while funny to some may be not and even offensive to others. Sometimes it's funny simply because it is offensive to some. Humor is a very individualistic trait. Every time you have an image that involves people in it, there will be some people who will object to it. I personally always try to post here only those that are funny (more or less) and not ridicule the person. It's a fine line sometimes. What culture you come from will also make a big difference on how things are viewed.

We all have different sensibilities to what is funny. I think we must also have tolerance to those differences. Unless the images is universally offensive and directed at hate of another nationality we should just pass the ones we don't think funny and view the ones you do think funny.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone likes a good funny pic. But what is funny to one person may not be to the next and even offensive in some cases. In some cases it will depend on which country or local community the photo was taken. Images with signs often fall into this category where a the language on a sign made for a funny comment, but if I can't read it, it would not be funny to me. Bathroom or juvenile humour also falls into this category. It has been said that when we laugh it is the relief that it wasn't yourself that was being made fun of. Often we laugh at the misfortune of others. Either they did something stupid or was a unwitting victim of a practical joke.

At first glance the question "Is it Funny or Not?" seems simple and easy to answer. But since this is a multicultural group here at Ipernity it gets a little bit more complicated.

So the answer to "Is it Funny or Not?" really depends on who the person is who views it. Sometimes it just needs a little explanation.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome and encouraged to reply here.

It has been said that "Everybody loves a parade!". Well, not everyone does. For those of you that hate parades there is a parade for you called the Doo Dah Parade. This is a parade for all those that have never been in a parade. No theme, no minimum talent requirements, you don't even need a costume. All you need is $10 and show up on time.

I have heard about the Doo Dah parade for years but never bothered to go for one reason or another. The parade doesn't have any regular date. It can happen any time from Thanksgiving to Chinese New Year. To my surprise I found out last weekend that it was going to be held on Jan 18th. I wasn't doing anything better and it was a beautiful hot winter day, so I decided to find out for myself what all the fuss was about with this parade.

I go to a lot of parade but this one takes the cake. A lot of craziness and weird costumes, and that was just the audience! I had a great time. Got a lot of great photos and it was free. what more could one ask for?

I shot well over 3000 images with a very high percentage of keepers, so I will be posting new work to this album for weeks to come. Be sure to check back as some of the best came at the end of the parade.

Here are a few samples:

Doo Dah Parade 1159

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Doo Dah Parade 1490*

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Doo Dah Parade Pasadena Califo…

Here is a link to the album: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/105684

My first year at Ipernity has been far better than I ever expected. I know that I am more quantity than quality but I just can't stop producing more work. Every time I take new shots I think this is better than my work before. And I know that I have not yet done my best. I use my postings as ways for me to get feedback on where I should improve and where should I explore more. My highest viewed and personal favorites rarely match. One of the things propels us photographers is the pursuit of "The Best Shot". I know I have shot some real good work but I know it was not the best. I doubt I ever will, but I think I will come close a few times and that is why I will continue.

Last year I had over 50,000 visits, 30 blog posts, and over 8,000 images posted. Over half of the images were archived from my Flickr account. Flickr's uneven treatment and enforcement of its terms of service of other members convinced me that I should move my main operation to Ipernity. I have never been deactivated at Flickr and still maintain an active account and administer several groups. But everything I post goes up here first now. I love Ipernity and it's team. They treat us as customers and adults. If they don't like what you post, they will warn you, tell you why and how to be reinstated.

My top 10 Event albums for 2008 (starting with the oldest)

Golden Dragon Parade: Chinese New Years parade held in Chinatown Los Angeles, over 470 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/50949

One World Fashion Show: Night time fashion show held at The Grove in Hollywood, over 110 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/56185

Counting Crows Concert 4/3/08: Counting Crows put on a special free concert promoting their first new album in years, over 170 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/59342

Americana: Opening day of "Americana on Brand" a new full feature shopping/living development, over 300 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/64549

Concorso Ferrari 2008 in Old Pasadena: A car show of Ferrari's only, over 300 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/66690

AVP Hermosa Beach 2008: Annual beach volleyball tournament held in Hermosa Beach, over 600 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/69950

Utah: Photos from my vacation to Utah, land of beauty. Images of sights and events held in Park City and Salt Lake City, over 700 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/76457

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Parade: Week long event and parade held in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles, over 500 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/82717

A Tribute To Fallen Heroes: My tribute in photos on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York Trade Center, 31 docs. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/84583

Miramar Air Show 2008: Air show held annually at the Miramar Navy Air force Base in San Diego, over 270 docs and still growing. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/90173

One of the side benefits of being an active photographer is being able to capture event so that you can relive the event on a slower level. This way you can really savor the experience that cannot even be appreciated live. There is so much that is missed or over looked in real time. A example of this was the Powwow that I attended while on my Utah vacation. This was my favorite album for 2008.

Powwow: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/76992

It was because of this album and some of the images contained in it that I became a friend to a Native American who enjoyed my work. It was only many months latter that I found out that this on-line friend had a brain tumor. He had successful operation in early December. I sent him a gift of one of my images that he particularly enjoyed. In a time of need he got a few minutes of pleasure seeing some of my work. What greater reward for a photographer than for you to reach out and actually help someone else.

I hate Ipernity's Doc Manager. Please, don't get me wrong. I love Ipernity, but the Doc Manager is almost useless for me. What I want to know is, is this an isolated problem (something in my setup) or do other members have similar problems. Some of these problems go back to when I first joined ipernity a year ago and some have only cropped up recently.

Here are some of the problems I have been experiencing:

1. Doc Manager only works with Mozilla Firefox. This is not a big problem, just inconvenient. I normally use IE 6 for my Internet browser. I tried using Doc Manager with IE 6 and it just hangs.

2. When selecting images to post to groups, the set selected is kept only for one drop. If you want to move those same images to another group, you have to reselect the set. I have joined several groups of the same type and would like to post a set to more than 1 group. I cannot do this with Doc Manager.

3. When using the click and drag method of posting to a group, the screen will jump up or down wildly if you are not careful. If you overshoot the top of the frame it will shoot up several pages up or down if you touch the bottom of the group pane. I have not found any info on how to slow down this auto scroll up and down. Sometimes I have to move the cursor up and down several times to finally get to the pane/group I want.

4. Associated with the #3 problem is that sometimes while trying to get to the right pane with the group I want to post to, I accidentally drop my image or set into the wrong group. Then I have to open the group page and delete my images out.

5. If you drop images into a group that moderates the images you cannot remove them from the submission. The host looks at my post as a miss post and may mistakenly think I did it on purpose. I see this in groups I moderate content, where I see flowers being sent to my Sexy Girl's group.

6. Once you post an image to a group, a duplicate group banner is added to the group listing and changes the order of all the groups in the pane. I go to post another image and the group is no longer where it was after the last post. Now I have to go hunt for the new location or I drop it into the wrong group. This new "feature" has just started happening a couple months ago.

7. Doc manager will load all my images (over 5k) every time I start the program. Not a big problem, but if you hit "end" when trying to go to the next group of 10 by mistake, you will be sent down to the very first image I posted a year ago. I would love it if you could limit the images to be posted to a select group of different choices like, today's uploads or ones from a select album or those that have not been posted to a group before.

I am a heavy user of the Doc Manager and use it every day. It is so frustrating to use that I dread having to use it but there really is no alternative if you have many new posts to make every day. Sometimes I think they leave it this way to discourage postings to multiple groups.

Do you have similar problems using the doc Manager? Have you found solutions to some of the problems I have experienced? Do you have a problem that I have not listed? I would like to hear from other users of the Ipernity's Doc Manager. If enough members are having similar problems, maybe we could send this list to Ipernity management to see if they can improve this otherwise useful feature.

Gee Dub

Hello fellow Ipernitians,

First of all, Vote for Ipernity at:

http://mashable.polldaddy.com/widget/x2.aspx?f=f&c=9&cn=105

Let the rest of the world know how great a community Ipernity is. It is much more that a photo sharing site.

I have added 5 new albums since my last album announcement. I created these new albums to provide diversity in my postings. I realized that when I post photos from a event that I had covered, that it gets boring looking at the same similar images day after day. So now I post from a different event every day. None of the albums are complete at this time. Some after a few weeks will be complete others will be continuous and never really end.

The new albums are:

1. Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008. Photos taken here are sometimes taken from my car as I drive home. Others are taken as I walk the streets and shop. Hollywood Blvd is a unique place with a wide variety of people and beautiful architecture. A great mix of people from homeless to workers to tourists and street performers. A great place for candid street photography.

The album can be found here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/88730

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

2. Miramar Air Show 2008. Once a year at MCAS Miramar air force base (the place where they train the Top Gun) has the largest air show in North America. This year they had the Blue Angels performing. The day was not good for taking photos as the weather kept changing every 10 minutes from dark grey clouds to bright sunshine. This is the second visit to the air show and this time I was prepared with a 75-300mm lens that could get some decent shots of the aircraft in flight. The great thing about this show is that it is FREE! This is a big album with many more to be posted in the near future. This album needs to be looked at slowly in large format to appreciate the quality of the air shots.

The album can be found here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/90173

Miramar Air Show 2008*

Miramar Air Show 2008*

Miramar Air Show 2008

Miramar Air Show 2008*

Miramar Air Show 2008 1672*

3. Christian Audigier presents Ed Hardy, A Night of Fashion at the Americana. This is the second outdoor fashion show that I have attended. After the first one I knew that I would be attending more in the future. Unfortunately the people that set up the show put it in the worst place for photography. The show started at 5PM with long shadows from the surrounding buildings made for very high contrasts, so many of the shots were way too dark or overexposed. I did the best I could and made a few silhouettes that came out pretty nice. I only have a few for from this event so the set is almost complete. The models were stunning and the music was loud, and the fashions louder!

The album can be found here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/91004

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

4. Streets Of Los Angeles. Photos from this album are taken from almost anywhere in the greater Los Angeles area. This album consists of images from earlier albums and new images. It will be a continuous album with new works being posted weekly. This album will give the viewer a better understanding of what it is like living here. Los Angeles is a multi-cultural city and can change drastically from block to block. This album is a bit more gritty, as most were photos shot on the fly with a P&S camera. What better way to "Know" a city than to see the people who live here in day to day activities.

The album can be found here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/91826

Streets Of Los Angeles

Streets Of Los Angeles

Streets Of Los Angeles

Streets Of Los Angeles

Streets Of Los Angeles - Henso…

5. Los Angeles Kings Opening Day Celebration. I am a big hockey fan and watch every Kings hockey game. The beginning of a new season is always exciting and the Kings hosted a season opener celebration in the Staples Center. Unfortunate they would not let me in with my camera so I was limited to taking photos outside only. It was held near Halloween so they had monsters in costume. So often I go someplace expecting one thing and something else happens to make this a unique photo opportunity. The Nokia Center is across the street and a new club was just opening. They had hired professional dancers to dance in the plaza at the same time as the season opener. So I captured a special treat with a beautiful couple dancing amongst the fans dressed up in Kings gear and monsters dressed for Halloween. I still have few more to post, but his album will be complete in a few weeks.

The album can be found here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/92392

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

MORE TO COME..............

As you may know there was a group started this month by a sponsor of Ipernity by Ford Fiesta. Some viewers of my photostream suggested that I submit some of my images to the group.

This is the description for this group:

"In October 2008 the best photos from this group will be shown on the Ford Fiesta Mega-LED-Screen
(104qm!) in the middle of Berlin Ku’damm.

If you would like to see your picture there simply join this group and send your best photos. The pictures should portray the theme „This Is Now“ and be based on people, hobbies, and favourite places and scenes."

I submitted 10 images and all 10 were accepted as favorites and were used on the display in Berlin. The winner of a Ipod touch will be announced Monday. Over 1400 images from Ipernity were accepted. the last accepted image was one of mine. I was hoping for maybe one or two to be accepted.

Here are the winners:

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008*

Christian Audigier presents Ed…

Miramar Air Show 2008*

Christian Audigier Presents Un…

Miramar Air Show 2008*

Christian Audigier Presents Un…

Los Angeles Kings Opening Day…

Streets of Los Angeles*

Christian Audigier Presents Un…

Hollywood Blvd Summer 2008

I would like to thank Ford fiesta for selecting my images in this contest. Also, in a set of images taken from the display one of my image was shown. Proof that one of mine actual was used.

This was the image used as a screen capture at the display in Berlin.

Christian Audigier Presents Un…

A yearly parade held in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. Lots of good food and beautiful people. Be sure to check out the auditions for the Amine Impersonations.

The Parade:

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

The Cars:

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Pontiac

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

The Amine Artists:

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

The Sights:

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

And of course the people:

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

Nisei Week - Little Tokyo Para…

All in all it was a great day. Great weather with the start of the parade at 5PM so it wasn't too hot. The Amine contest was a extra bonus. There are well over 500 images in this album. Los Angeles is a mixture of many cultures and the Japanese is one of the jewels of LA. I am sure you find something you will enjoy.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/82717

Ipernity is finally taking off as evidenced by all the new group invites I have received. As you know Ipernity has a limit (100 groups) to the number of groups a non Pro account can join. I am at that limit and cannot join any more groups right now.

I appreciate all the invites and would love to join them but cannot at this time. I still have a Pro account at Flickr and when that membership ends I will purchase a Pro account at Ipernity. Unfortunately that won't be for several months.

So I apologize to all those that have invited me to their groups and I have not been able to join. Especially since so many have joined groups that I admin or moderate.

Thank you for understanding and don't feel bad if I have not joined your group.

Gee Dub

This album is a small tribute to the fallen heroes of 9/11. A selection of images to remind me of the things our country is still fighting for. From the beauty of flowers to scenes from my city to the people who live here. Not all of it is beautiful but all worth dying for. Was it worth the cost? I don't know if our governments answer was the right one.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/84583

A Tribute To Fallen Heroes

A Tribute To Fallen Heroes

Complete! A day in Gee Dub's life in photos.

August 8Th, 2008. The day the Summer Olympics in Beijing started. This is also a record of the things I saw and took photos of on that day. From on the road to and from my work to strolling thru my garden and taking photos of flowers to my neighbors beautiful Abyssinian feline.

This was also the day for Flickr 888. Flickr 888 was made for submission of a photo to be part of a published photo postcard of this day by Flickr members. The guideline for submission was: Take a photo any time during the twenty-four hour period that’s August 8th where you are and then share it with the group. We’ll accept one (1) contribution per Flickr member into the group I know a lot of people here dislike Flickr, but I still have an account there and this task was a challenge that I couldn't resist.

As usual I cannot take just one photo of anything let alone in one day. So I set out just to take a photo of anything that caught my attention and then sort through to find The One for submission. All of the photos in this set I considered. I narrowed it down to 140! This was a pretty typical day for me. For me it has always been What not to take vs I can't find anything to shoot I wonder if you can guess which one I submitted.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/81350

08-08-08*

08-08-08*

08-08-08 - Kodak Theatre

08-08-08 - Chinese Theatre

08-08-08 - Hollywood Blvd

08-08-08

08-08-08

The Gee Dub Den or family of Ipernity groups now consists of 17 separate groups. Of these 17 groups 5 were created by me. The rest I have been promoted to administrator by an administrator of the group.

• People in Motion. This is my newest group. This group requires the posted image to show people in motion. Posts should be images that show people doing something active. It can be of a athlete competing in a sport or a jogger on a morning run. Mountain climbing, bicycling, water skiing or just plain walking all show people doing something active. People can be a single person, or couple or group of people as long as the main subject(s) is/are involved in some kind of active roll in the image. People reading, sleeping, sitting & posing for a photo are NOT acceptable. And because this is a public group, we cannot post activities that would be done behind closed doors, even if it is very active! This should be a fun group with a lot of interesting images. Please join if you like these kinds of images and even post a few if you have some in your portfolio.

• Utah, People of Beauty

  Utah, People of Beauty - Olymp…

  Utah, People of Beauty

  Utah, People of Beauty

  08-08-08

  08-08-08

• Link: http://www.ipernity.com/group/pim

______________________________________________________________________________

• Photo Potpourri. The first group was created in December 2007. It now has over 310 members and is often seen on Ipernity's "Discover" groups page. It consists primarily of images that don't really fit any one type of category. Variety is the main element of the group. What is important is that the poster thinks it is a good image. Over 3600 images posted so far:

• 08-08-08*

  08-08-08

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  08-08-08

• Link: http://www.ipernity.com/group/photopotourri

______________________________________________________________________________________

• Men. This group was created at the beginning of 2008. A simple group with a simple objective. Post images of men. Ordinary everyday men. With over 270 members and 1000 images posted so far. The quality of the images very surprising and has also been listed on on Ipernity's "Discover" groups page . This is a moderated group. All images must be reviewed before being posted.

• Utah, People of Beauty

  Street Performer Mar 07*

  Hermosa Beach May 2007

  Hermosa Beach May 2007

  Anze Kopitar

  08-08-08

• Link: http://www.ipernity.com/group/men

__________________________________________________________________________________

• Transportation, Unlimited. If you can ride it, fly it or drive it, IT belongs here.
  Trains, planes, automobiles, motorcycles, or skateboards. Basically anything that moves a person from one place to another. There have been many unusual means of transportation posted there. Go take a look if you have not visited before.

• 08-08-08

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  08-08-08*

• Link: http://www.ipernity.com/group/transportation

___________________________________________________________________________________

• People in Black and White: This is my latest group. As anyone knows, who has visited my photo stream, they will soon see 2 of my favorite types of photography are high contrast B&W and images of street people. There were groups for people and groups for B&W but not one of both B&W and people. Now there is. Link:

• Utah, People of Beauty

  Utah, People of Beauty

  Utah, People of Beauty - Olymp…

  Utah, People of Beauty

  Utah, Land of Beauty

  Utah, People of Beauty

• http://www.ipernity.com/group/bwpeople

________________________________________________________________________________

Here are the other groups that I co-admin (but were not started by me):

• El Portal del Erotismo (Erotic in the World of Yesterday and of Today). I don't read Spanish but if you like hot sexy/erotic images of women this is a group for you. This is a private group so you will need an invite by me or other admin to join or post to this group:http://www.ipernity.com/group/p.erotismo
• Candid Couples. Candid street images of couples. Co-Admin-ed by Edv, one of the best candid photographers around.http://www.ipernity.com/group/candidcouples
• Anything Goes. As the group name implies, you can post any image you want. http://www.ipernity.com/group/25476
• The Midnight Funk Association. Long time friend from Flickr who makes some great funky music. If you want some funky tracks to go along with some excellent photography, this is a place worth stopping by. http://www.ipernity.com/group/35429
• Candid Girls. Similar in style to the Girl Watchers Club I started at Flickr. The oldest and largest candid street images of women group on Flickr. Co-admin-ed by droit-de-regard. http://www.ipernity.com/group/candidgirls
• fanatico de chicas. A group for spanish speaking members who enjoy hot looking women. http://www.ipernity.com/group/fanaticochicas
• PRETTY GIRLS (NON NUDE). Just what it says, Pretty Girls (Non Nude) this is a public group for posts of pretty girls: http://www.ipernity.com/group/40536
• ***Sexy Women/Non-Nude*** . What is the difference between a pretty girl and a sexy woman? I don't really know but this group is private and will require an invite from me or other admin. I guess you can have ugly girls in this one!? http://www.ipernity.com/group/42667
• Best Female Legs On Ipernity. This groups focus is on women's legs. All submissions must be approved before they will be posted to the group. http://www.ipernity.com/group/27268
• *~MADDOG'S G-RATED "ALBUM GROUP"~*. Ex-Flickrite, now confirmed member of Ipernity. Maddog is a little crazy but I really like the guy. This group is a little hard to figure out as it's theme changes every now and then. For some reason it is a private group (even though it is G-Rated) and needs an invite from an admin to join. http://www.ipernity.com/group/56866
• Imagenes y sonidos del Mundo en que vivimos. Another spanish speaking group. This one is for photos that represent the community in which you live. This would mean photos taken a a local community fair or festival. http://www.ipernity.com/group/36439
• Digital Paintings. Anyone who has seen my photostream know that I love to do high contrast B&W post processed images. Well the founder of Digtial Images (Yeshim Khaley Istanbul, a talented photographer from Turkey) liked my work and made me an admin. So if you like to play around in post processing this is a great place to join: http://www.ipernity.com/group/36129
• Running a group can be a time consuming job. I like my groups to have a simple and easy to understand focus. Very few rules or limitations. Comments are welcome but not necessary. Please feel free to stop by and see some incredible photography. I am sure you will find something you will like.

If you like what you see, you just might want to join and even post something if you have something that fits. Joining groups is the best way to share your images.

Ipernity is much much smaller than Flickr as far as number of viewers goes. Most groups have only a hundred or so members. Discussions are limited at best. Some of this because many viewers here are from Europe and English is a second language. People who like to talk post prose in the blog area. This is probably the best way to communicate with friends as new blogs are posted, they show up in your my space page.

I also moderate 10 more groups. If you are looking for more explicit material it can be found in private groups http://www.ipernity.com/group/privategrouplistings is a group that lists the various private groups. If you create a private group you should list it there.

I just finished editing for a new album call 08-08-08 and just started editing images taken at the Nisei Week in Little Tokyo.

Gee

Gee Dub

Utah, the beehive state, is in the middle of the mountain states of the United States of America. It is most well know for it's Great Salt Lake, National Parks and being the center for the Mormon church. I recently went on vacation to this beautiful state. I went with my folks who have a timeshare condo in Park City. Park City was where many 2002 Winter Olympic events were held. It is also host to the Sundance Film Festival held there every winter.

I was there only one week but I took almost 10,000 images. Don't worry, I will post no more than 10%! I used my Canon EOS 40D with 70-300mm & 28-135mm Len's. I also shot some with my old P&S Powershot S80. I used a laptop every night to download what I had taken that day and then copied them over to a separate 60GB USB portable hard drive. I will be sorting and editing photos for at least another couple of weeks before I finish.

Some of the places I visited included: Strawberry Lake (my fathers favorite fishing spot), Olympic Park training facilities, Park City's Historic Old Town section, Antelope Island (largest island in the Great Salt Lake), Liberty Park where the state's anniversary is celebrated with a Cultural Festival and has a wonderful aviary, and the Hill Air Force Base Aviation Museum. I also like to stop and take photos of almost everything along the way. One of the great benefits to digital photography is you don't really have to run out of film. But you can still run out of memory or battery power. Fortunately you can buy several spares just to be sure you don't miss anything.

I have created 2 new albums for these image that I took. The first is called Powwow. At the cultural festival in Liberty Park, Native Americans held a inter-tribal powwow. This is a gathering of all the various tribes from the area to get together and dance and celebrate their heritage.

Utah Album, Powwow NACIP

Utah Album, Powwow NACIP*

The second album is just called Utah. This album will contain all the the other beautiful scenery and wonderful people of this amazing state.

Olympic Park

Utah Album, Olympic Pool

Utah Album, Olympic Pool

Utah Album, Olympic Park

Utah Album, Olympic Park

Utah Album, Olympic Park*

Utah Album, Olympic Park

Antelope Island

Antelope Island, Utah

Antelope Island, Utah

Antelope Island, Utah*

Antelope Island, Utah

Antelope Island, Utah

Other locations will be posted as I finish them. I hope you enjoy the sights and scenery of Utah!

Every year for the past 25 years one of the best beach volleyball tournaments is held in Hermosa Beach California. It is a cool place for walking along the strand or riding your skateboard or bicycle. Hermosa Beach has a pier where you can walk out was watch the surfers up close.

AVP Hermosa Beach

AVP Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach is a small beach community along the South Bay area in Los Angeles County. It is not as Big as Santa Monica or crazy as Venice Beach

Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica, California

For the Santa Monica Album go here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/48733

Hermosa Beach May 2007*

#16 People of Hermosa Beach Ca…

#10 Most Appreciated - Hermosa…

Corona Girl Series - Hermosa B…

For the 2007 Hermosa Beach Album go here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/50351

This year I went to the AVP Finals on Sunday. Last year I went on Saturday and the preliminary rounds were open to the public. At the finals you have to go the main court only and it was sold out. So I didn't get to photograph any pro volleyball players playing in action. So, you have to bear with me and only get to see the sights and people of Hermosa Beach around the tournement!

#4 Most Visited - #18 Most App…

AVP Hermosa Beach

For the AVP Hermosa Beach 2008 album go here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/album/69950

I had a great time and got some really nice images. Over 300 photos are in the album.

Enjoy

Gee Dub

I am not sure if it is really new, but I just found out how to do it, so it is new to me.

It is called PIP. I recently was looking at a new post by a friend and noticed that one of the images had several notes on it clustered together. When I moved my cursor over the notes a new image (slightly different than the main image) expanded in the frame. Immediately I though how cool. Now I can group several images together in one post.

I asked the friend how he did this and he graciously explained and directed me to group that has only PIP images. It's pretty easy to do. Here is a link to the group (PiP ★ Picture in Picture):

http://www.ipernity.com/group/zoomin  Instructions on how to do it are right on the front page.

I often take continuous shots to make sure I get at least one good one. I also often shoot in exposure brackets. As a result I often times get several equally good shots of the same subject but slightly different. Posting a series of images slightly different usually diminishes the impact of the subject. Viewers pick one and just look at it and don't bother with the rest.

Sometimes I shoot a fairly complex image with several parts that could work as a good cropped blowup. Now I can combine all the details together in one image. Now the viewer doesn't have to download the image to zoom in to see some of the details. This is especially nice with some of my high resolution images.

Here are a few samples of images where I have used this new feature: (Use the link to see how PIP was used)

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/2176456

#20 Most Visited - PIP - AVP H…

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/2176453

PIP - AVP Hermosa Beach Califo…

 http://www.ipernity.com/doc/geedub/2170535

#5 Most Visited - PIP - AVP He…

 You can get creative with where you place the PIP notes. There is not any limits as to the number of notes/images you can add, as far as I know. I think this is really great for the viewer as well as the poster. You can now post more images with just one post. It take a little planning and a little work but I think it is worth it. I will now keep it in mind when shooting and when editing.

Give it a try.

Gee Dub