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Et bien, je ne suis pas un grand amis des structures.

Mais d´un autre côté, je me dit qu´il faut essayer. Alors je vais faire des tests et des essais. Les images faites ainsi seront uploadés avec les textures et les structures que vous pourrez ainsi utiliser à loisir...

Etre une femme... C´est etre le combattant des temps modernes !

Je remercie les chromosomes de mon père de m´avoir fait homme.

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/99985/6506275

Je suis malade.

Rien de bien méchant mais assez handicapant : la grippe. Mes oreilles bourdonnent, j´éternue tout le temps, mon nez coule, je suis fatigué... bref...

Malgré tout, j´en profite pour travailler quelques images qui trainent depuis des siècles sur mon disque dur. Lentement, au rythme de mes maux de tête.

Et je me sens dans ces moment là comme un gamin à qui on rend ses vieux jouets oubliés au fond d´un grenier et qui ressurgissent au grand nettoyage de printemps...

Beaucoup de photos à suivre...

Aprés une série sur New York va bientôt suivre une série sur Stockholm...

Et oui, j´insiste : ils se fichent tous de nos gueules !

Avez vous remarqué la cadence avec laquelle les nouveaux modèles arrivent sur le marché, quasiment pas un mois sans que l´une des marques ne sorte un nouveau modèle. Et qui apporte quoi en définitive?

Avant, quand vous preniez un appareil, vous en preniez pour 10 ans. Aujourd´hui... Pfffuit... Alors j´accuse les producteurs de ne sortir des appareils que dans le but d´en vendre plus mais sans apporter de réels nouveaux avantages au sein de chacun des segments (debutant, expert et pro). Et les complices se trouvent dans la presse qui doit bien remplir ses pages pour vendre elle aussi.

Vous voulez du concret? Et bien allons y : Fin 2007, je me remets à la photo. J´achète un D40x. Le boitier fait de belles photos. Et puis je me dis qu´un deuxième serait pas mal afin de ne pas changer d´objectifs toutes les 5 minutes. Mais le D40x a disparu, remplacé par le D60 lui même supplanté par le D3000. Alors j´hésite, je me tate et finallement je porte mon choix sur un D80 que j´ai acquis avec un 50mm pour 600 EUR (neuf). Et oui, le D90 venait de sortir...

Là oui, c´est clair, j´ai bien vu la différence entre les deux appareils. Mais ils n´appartiennent pas au même segment. Ensuite, j´ai revendu mon D40x pour acheter un D90. Et là, je comprends tous les propopos colériques des usagers qui réfléchissent un peu : je lis les articles et je découvre que le D90 est un clone du D300 non tropicalisé avec de la video. Alors je me demande pourquoi de tels écarts de prix entre le D300 et le D90... Et puis, curieux, je continue mes investigations : je lis dans les archives qu´à la sortie du D300, beaucoup de voix s´élevaient en clamant que le passage du D200 au D300 ne se justifiait pas. Et comme le capteur du D80 est issu du D200...

A ce niveau de reflexion, je commence à comprendre une profonde vérité : les appareils sont tous bons, seuls les menus et l´emplacement des boutons sont plus où moins conviviaux. Soit, mais de là à faire payer cette différence avec de tels écarts de prix??? Et la presse la dedans, et bien elle change d´avis avec le temps et les opinions divergent d´un magazine à l´autre donc en clair : quand tu es dans le rayon, tu crois avoir une bonne opinion, mais tu es manipulé et tu prends ce qu´on te fais prendre. Et puis soyons francs, pour un photographe, son appareil, c´est un signe ostentatoire, une manière de s´affirmer, un moyen de s´attirer de la considération.

Et les constructeurs le savent. Et l´entretiennent.

L´arnaque continue : Toujours à la recherche de l´appareil merveilleux, le plus ci et ca, et bien on feuillette les tests disponibles dans la presse. On vous montre un timbre agrandi pris comme ci et comme ca et à la fin, on voit que les différences sont certes présentes mais assez minimes. Et puis aprés? Ils suffit de lire ces mêmes magasines quelques page plus loin pour voir qu´il faut corriger sa courbe de niveaux, les couleurs et que c´est pour ca que le fichier RAW est super (ce que je pense aussi) : tu peux complètement retoucher ta photo. Bon alors à quoi me sert il d´avoir un capteur soit disant génial puisque je dois tout changer ensuite???

Pourquoi s´embêter à faire des tests où l´on plie les cheuveux en quatre puisqu´avec photoshop (ou tout autre programme) nous allons illico presto chez le coiffeur les déplier???

Les appareils ont tous un niveau dont rêvaient nos grands parents. Quand en est il des photographes? Humm...

Je me suis alors amusé à observer mes photos de plus près : je mets quiconque au défit de reconnaitre une photo faite au D40x d´une photo faite au D90. Quant aux différences entre D80 et D90... Encore une fois, tous ces appareils sont formidables. Ils sont tellement bien que pour se faire vendre, on leur fait faire de la vidéo car les constructeurs ne savent plus quoi améliorer dans le domaine purement photo.

Pour finir, on nous a vanté les mérites du petit capteur lorsqu´ils sont sortis. Et maintenant on repart sur les moyens formats en les réservant au segment des pros. Alors quoi? J´ai acheté du matos qui n´était pas bon? Encore une arnaque pour me forcer à racheter des objectifs?...

Qu´en pensez vous?

Bon, je ne vous tiens plus en haleine! Voici les résultats de mon expérience.

DxO : La simulation de nombreux papiers et effet diapos est bonne. Le fait que les papiers couleurs fassent partie de l´offre est appréciable. En revanche, je suis déçu par la gestion du grain. Dommage, car l´interface est vraiment sympa. Ce qui me dérange vraiment c´est que l´image sauvegardée ne ressemble pas à celle que vous vouliez sauvegarder. Un grain apparait ensuite comme assez gros. Comment alors savoir ce que l´on bidouille et surtout pourquoi faire puisque vous travailler à l´aveuglette. Prix : EUR 79,--

EFEX : Jean-Claude Sanchez a eu une excellent idée de me parler de ce plugin pour PS. Là, c´est l´inverse : rien pour la couleur et une gestion de grain superbe. Un dosage précis est possible, le travail des gris est superbe grace au dosage des différentes couleurs (filtrage). Superbe, mais que pour les accros du noir et blanc. Dont je fais partie. EUR 199,--

Je crois que je vais donc commander EFEX sur amazone.

On se souvient plus longtemps de la qualité que du prix. (Georgio Armani)

Je teste à présent un programme pour imiter le rendu de grains de l´argentique. Il s´agit de silver efex. Il m´a été conseillé par un ipernaute.

A suivre...

Bon, je ne sais pas vous mais je viens de m´acheter le D90 de Nikon aprés avoir revendu mon D40x dont j´étais content soit dit en passant. Mais bon, le Live View, les fonctions experts et la puissance du marketing auront eu raison de ma volonté.

Je travaille de façon assez intensive avec les fichiers RAW. Ce sont les meilleurs, je défie quiconque de me prouver le contraire, sans même parler des problèmes de perte de données des fichiers Jpeg à chaque sauvegarde. J´utilise PE6 et une vieille version de Photoshop CS. Et là impossible d´affichier les RAW...

J´ai trouvé un patch qui me permet de les convertir en fichier DNG qui peuvent être ouverts comme des RAW sous PE6.

J´ai trouvé ce patch ici : http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=4042&fileID=3751

Ca marche. Une manip´de plus mais bon...

Voilà, si cela peut vous aider, servez vous !

Bonjour !

Cette fois ci ce sra dans ma langue maternelle. Depuis que j´ai installé Kapersky 2010, impossible de poster mes photos dans les groupes. Je reçois un message d´erreur (erreur #900) comme quoi je dois vérifier ma connexion internet. Mais elle fonctionne bien et je n´ai pas ce type de probleme sur flickr...

Quelqu´au saurait il comment m´aider ?

http://concours.photo.fr/2008/finalistes

We came back. It took time to have a normal sleep because of the jet lag. But we did. And now it is already business as usual... I wanna get back to New York !!!!

The weather seamed to be nice so we left the umbrella at home this time. Actually each time we took it it happened to be a wonderful sunny day. Keep that in mind for later. Today was the day to visit the Guggenheim Museum. We were already on the way as Ulli realized that she left the second NYC-Pass on the table at home. So, once again, we went back home and took it. Anyway, 45 minutes we were skipping the line at the museum. Once again guys, go for the NYC-Pass, it´s worth it !

The museum in itself is a nice modern looking building. Personally we have been a little disappointed, we were expecting more paintings than architecture stuff. Anyway, it is a hot spot because it is very well known. The Museum is closed to Central Park so we went for a walk. We saw the lake, strawberry fields with guys singing Beatles songs and the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot.

The Lake is great. Did you see the movie Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman ? This one of the places he was running. Central Park is definitely one of the best parks we ever visited. And we were enjoying the sunbeams.

Then, we went to B&H, a wonderful place for all photographers. Prices in the US are OK, but when you put the taxes + custom fees, it was not so interesting, so we gave up. Too bad, because there is no such shop in Vienna. As we went out, it started to rain with such a violence, i could not believe my eyes ! Ulli flipped out and got very angry! She was so cold !... As it became nicer, we have found a shelter called Madison Square Garden ! ;-) There is a great bookshop called Borderer and we bought a few things there. Books, DVD (only one),...

Then we decided to have diner at home. as told you in Day 7, it seams like Manhattaners do not often eat healthy things. Actually i have never seen so many fat people. But not all Americans are fat. My question is WHY?. Here a few elements of a possible answer :

1) It was hard to find shops with vegetables and fruits. And in those shops, the range of them was small.

2) Junked food is cheaper.

3) Junked food is to be sold at every corner.

4) Coke is cheaper than mineral water.

Actually this is logical : food is a product like any other in the US and the keyword is convenience. Actually you save time and it is easier to buy foo ready to eat rather than to cook...

We found such a shop in the area of Chambers Street. We bought Salad, tomatoes, apples, mangoes, and so on... We were happy... but the price to pay was almost the double of what you pay in Austria. Anyway, as we were queuing at the cashier, a homeless came in. That leads me to the second point i want to talk about.

We saw homeless guys. Some where clean, some dirty, but here you see the limits of what we have seen of the US-Society. Either you are in the system or you are not. But a social net like we do have in Europe simply does not exist in the US. Besides the so-called social welfare. There private organizations who want to help, but they are not run by official authorities. Or we did not see them. Like anywhere in the world, Subway offers them a warm place for the nights.

And that leads me to my last critical point : the subway. NYC is the City of all cities in the world. Almost 22 millions people live here. All is modern at a point you can not figure out if you haven´t seen it here. But the subway is definitely not up to date. It is small, dirty, extremely warm and the trains are air-conditioned so cold that you can get sick within to transfers. But it works 24hours a day and happened to be safe.

Safety leads me to my very last point : Police is everywhere ! (OK, we haven´t been in the Bronx or Harlem). It is hard to walk a few blocks without seeing police officers. This applies for Manhattan as well as for Brooklyn.

Day nine was a very good day, stay tuned.

Hi guys!

With a good American breakfast at Time Square, we started Day 7. We took a chair, bought coffees to go and muffins and just watched the people and the huge screens. Amazing how big it is. Exactly like it is in the movies.

Then it was time to leave for the opening of the Mo-ma. A great Museum. And a quite place ! We spent about 3 hours there and needed to rest a bit so we walked to Central Park.

It is beautiful and so huge ! We saw the lake, the skyline, the restaurant where Sally announces she broke up with Joe (When Harry met Sally) and watched a softball match. A man was kind enough to explain us the rules so we finally had fun!

We became hungry and went to the Brooklyn Diner again and had a Romanian Steak. I think they call it that way because of the garlic which is supposed to keep Dracula away ! :-) American have great steaks ! I will in Day 8 write a little about the food habits i have noticed in NYC.

Full of energy - and calories - we headed to the Empire States Building, which was built in only 14 months for the biggest pleasure of a very famous Gorilla. It was fun to skip all the lines and once again, get your NYC-Pass, it´s worth it. We saw the sunset and we admired the nightfall and all the little tiny lights of the buildings. The audio guide is well done. Great experience really.

That was day 7.

In Day 8, i will try to put down the things which are not glorious that we have noticed and which are also a part of New York like : poverty, homeless, junked food... But do not misunderstand, all in all we enjoy a lot our stay in NY.

Day six was a very, once again, exciting day. Once again we cussed because of the station´s names and once again we missed the station and had to ride back. But, i suppose once you don´t do this anymore, you can claim you a real New Yorker ! Anyway, the weather happened to be fine and that was a reason enough for smiling all day long. Our next destination : Soho. Do you know the Monthy Pythons as the guy says : And now something completely different? That´s exactly the way it is : Soho is not far from the financial district, but its atmosphere has nothing to deal with it. Art Galleries, small restaurants, fashion shops are everywhere. And, first time for us in New York : no noise ! Or let´s say very few.

Manhattan is very noisy, it never stops : voices, cars, buses, horns, car´s tires on the concrete, subway (yes you hear it from the outside). A good reason to settle down in Brooklyn if you can not afford 10 billions dollars for 3 rooms flat along Central Park. For instance in the Dakota Building where John Lennon was shot.

Anyway Ulli bought a WON-DER-FUL dress. And it is always a pleasure to purchase with her. As we were walking in the Wooster street, we noticed a nice location for a shooting. She was wearing a wonderful pink dress! It made a lot of fun and i am very proud of the results (coming up soon on ipernity).

In the afternoon we had planned to have a Photo workshop with a professional photographer who makes also a guided tour in the financial district. The gathering point was Trinity Church. It was interesting, but it started to rain and nobody wants to have a walk without umbrellas and with a load of cameras. After being wet down to the bones, we searched for a place to rest in the closest area and we found an old traditional tavern where Georges Washington used to slip. The coffee was warm and my apple pie served with a vanilla ice-cream.

Ulli was tired so, it was already around 5.30pm, we made the decision to go back home (this time we stopped at the right station) and got ready for a concert after we walked down to ground 0.

Sad.

I was full of memories. I was in Vienna on the way to the UNO as i heard about 9.11. I guess everyone knows where he was and what he was doing as he learned about it. I could remember the news, the images on TV, the shock, the pain, the interviews on CNN, the firemen... There was a message for a mum who died that day : "RIP Mom, happy mother´s day. May 9 1972 - Sept 11 2001. I love you." What else is to say.

The concert was not that good, but to cheered us up. Especially a guy who simulated drums with his mouth and a microphone. He was very impressive. The rest was, in my opinion, not interesting.

That was our day 6.

Marc Eliot, New York

We took our time in the morning to get ready! We were tired and we decided to fight against the stress and not o hurry up. Actually our society uncased on the HU principle : Hurry Up for this and that and is already starts when you´re a kid : Come on, we got to hurry up or we will be late to school, doctor or even own wedding, hurry hurry hurry,... Grrrrr! So we took it easy and slowly.

We took, once again the A-Train. This let me remember to those guys we saw a couple of days ago who were giving sandwiches away. Well actually they were here to help the homeless guys. I can´t tell you if they were good or not, i can tell you the way they do it. They get in to the train and say : Hello guys! is there anyone of hungry or you are homeless, please let us know, we can help. We have food for you! etc....

Anyway, we jumped out at the Washington Square after be realized we were to far and had to come back. Did you know that different stations have the same name in Manhattan? You don´t believe me? Wanna take a bet ? Just check this one : Canal street. You can´t trust your eyes, then try this : Spring Street ! Washington Square is nice although it looks pretty European. We met a policeman who wanted to be photographed with Ulli. He was looking a bit like Kevin Costner. We was delighted to hear i am french and asked a lot of things about the Provence where he is going to spend 2 weeks in a couple of months. The weather was getting better so we had to get ready to this and buy a few things like Mini-Skirts and (hot) summer dresses for Ulli. The 5th avenue is great for shopping !

Then we went to the north, direction to the flatiron Building. You have no idea how it does look like ? It looks like a triangle (seen from above). A housewife has found the name "flatiron" as she let her favorite tool to have a walk on the 7th avenue ! Just kidding! We are still wondering why the architects designed a shape like this. It looks good! But how did they come to this idea. Not enough space ? Anyway it is an eye catcher and a must for every tourist in NY

Then we had lunch. I know, it is not so important to mention here, but you and I we do need to full energy from times to times and do not tell me you don´t : You´re actually online and the world is watching at you ! Hehehehe! This brings me to the next topic : Americans tell you anywhere and anytime what you should do or not like : Stay right when using the escalators ! Or even "take the stairs, not the elevators - You will burn calories... I have made a picture, you will see.

I will not write a lot about Time Square : It is noisy, crowed and there is light everywhere. It is huge and so crazy that is a thing to put in the drawer of the Things-I-Do-Have-To-See-When-I-Am-In-New York. We survived and after 15 Minutes, we went away, enough advertising for the day !

Then, as the weather was good, we went to the Brooklyn Height where we were the foggy day before. And do you know what ? it looks completely different without fog ! :-) An other MUST ! The view over Manhattan´s financial district is simply amazing. We enjoyed the sunset and met Frank. Frank is a brooklyner and, by the way an hobby-photographer. Guess about what we talked together. He loves photography, this helps him to fight the stress and gives him an excuse not to walk his wife´s dogs ! At least he said so. The view was unforgettable, the night came, and... it was like in the movies but this time, you are on the scene, with the buildings in front of you. On, i was about to forget : Miss Liberty is small.

Ok, it is midnight, almost 6am for many of you so sleep well guy, you still have 30 Minutes to dream!

Finally we decided to have a cool and quiet day... After a little late breakfast we started a tour in the Brooklyn height. As we left our building i saw a funny barbershop run by a rasta black guy. On the window he put posters written by himself. And it goes like : "Reading than watching TV" so i got curious and had a look. His shop is a mix of library and a barber. Add the loud reggae music (still playing now - 9.30 PM) and two brown eyes surrounded of red where the white color is supposed to be and you may have a almost precised idea of what we discovered inside.

Well, we got down to subway station and jumped out at the High Street (no guys, grass does not grow there, don´t rush !) and we visited the brown houses that are the noble place of Brooklyn. In the subway i noticed a advertise for lawyers which said : "Injured? Call us, we will help you"... It looks like in the US, if you have a problem you must take a lawyer. They are the new colts of the urban-cowboys. A strange thing for EU-people like Ulli and I. I love those culture´s differences.

Have you already seen pictures of the Brooklyn bridge above the East River with Manhattan in the background? That is what we actually we were supposed to see... But guys, it was so foggy... We saw nothing but a white cover and the traffic on the BQE (Main road). Anyway, i made some pictures of this place, one or two are very great. Especially a black men leaning on the grid looking toward the financial district... I also made some wonderful portraits of Ulli.

Rain, fog, cold wind... at a time we should have about 30°c !!! But, okay what can you do against the weather. I will check weather.com in a minute. Anyway, clouds or not, we got hungry and we rushed into a restaurant and ordered two salads and coffees. Do you know what. US coffee tastes different like ours, it tastes like.... colored water with milk. But it was warm enough so we became happy. ;-)

I am very surprised how Americans are always ready to give a little help. Are looking for a street in your city map? Don´t you know which train goes to Union Square station? Looking for a pants? believe or not but they take time for you and make sure you get what you want, always with a smile.

And then? Then we shopped ! Yes in Brooklyn in the Fulton street Mall. We bought nails-furnish (orange, green and blue), a wig - an Afro-styled one - and green high heels. Noooo ! Not for me, i did not turn gay, it was for Ulli and our coming up shootings.

We decided to walk home. On the way i noticed that new buildings are being built now. Maybe this borough will be trendy. I think many new yorkers can not afford to live in Manhattan and move to closed boroughs like Brooklyn or the Queens. My question is : If rents go up, where will the poor people go... ?

We walked along the BAM (Brooklyn Music Academy) which is by the way the oldest Music Academy of the United States of America. The building looks good and was built in 1908. And guess what? They play live music and play independent movies... This week is dedicated to french movies... ;o)

So, my dear friends in Europe, keep on sleeping, in two hours you got to wake up and get ready for work.

Day three started very slowly actually. Did i mentionned, that i had lost my passpeort ? Oh yes, i did. But did i tell you that when got it back it was completely dammaged? It stayed in the gutter for hours so i had to go to the french consulate to see what they can do... The guy was very funny! He looked so sad as he saw my passeprt´s state, he almost shared tear. Well, i sent me to aphotographer and after he cashed US 41,--, he gave me an "an emergency passeport"... The french embassy is closed to Central Park. The weather is still bad, so we decided to get into a museum : MET. It´s great, it´s hudgde. We saw a fashion exibition and another one about the 70ees and 80ees. By the way, if you go to the met, have a coffe at the top, you will have a wonderful view above Central Park and of the sky-line.

After that we met Louise wha saved my passeport and went dinner in Greenwich at place she used to work. She is very nice and funny. And looks like everybody knows her ! I was very fun. She can´t stop speaking but it is not a problem because she is very funny. She choosed a great californian wine named "Caine 5". A very heavy and good blend. Around midnight (the temperature was still hot outside) we went home with the A-train. We almost missed the station because we got asleep between each stops !

Today (Day 4), we are having breakfast and we are still not quiet sure what we want to see... Stay tuned ! ;-)))

After Paris and Le Touquet, we decided to cross the ocean and get to New York City. We arrived yesterday and we live in an appartment in Brooklynn. It is nice and the neighbohood shows an other aspect of what you see in Manhattan.

The weather was pretty hot. My first impressions : hudge, this city is hudge. And safe. The second thing i have noticed is all the US-flags you can see all around : on the buidlings, in gardens, on the waggons of the Met...

Just after we unpacked our stuff, we went for a walk in the fulton street : I loved it ! Very crowdy, almost only african americans, and they are so cooool ! You have never been to the US ? All is true : the noise of the tires on the road, the buildings with the ladder outside, the guys sitting on their chairs on the side walks, the teenagers walking this a basketball... All that we, as europeans, may think it is a cliché is real. We went to bed early.

Because of the jet-lag, we woke up this morning pretty soon, after a stromy night. We decided go to Manhattan and a couple of minutes after we were in the financial district : amazing, how can i say that ? You know you will see buildings, but you can not imagine how many of them there are !!! unbelievable ! The weather was pretty bad, the top of them was hidden by clouds... I made nice pictures i will upload when we are back home. We saw the NYSE, Wallstreet, and then it started to rain, a heavy rainshower. So Ulli ment we should change our plans. We went to the 53th Street / 7th Av. in a shop where you can by the NY-City-Pass which gives you free entry in several monuments and Museums.

So off we go, we jumped in to a cab and a few minutes after we became proud owners of the City-Pass. Then we had a wonderful lunch in the Brooklynn Diner. Very original place, affordable, with jazz music. Once we were finished filling our batteries, we started a very long walk, made some purchases and a lot of pictures ! We wanted to visit the Mumo, but it´s closed on tuesdays... On the way back, direction Carnegie Hall, we watched a profi model getting ready for a fashion shooting. I am absolutly sure my pictures are the best ! (just kidding).

Then we saw St Patrick´s Church, the Municipal Library, Grand Central, and the Chrisler building. Then we got tired and we looked for a place to rest. But, believe me, the 2nd avenue is not the best place for cosy drink. Finally we found a tiny place just in front of the headquaters of the Pfizer firm... As we left, i got so scared : my passport simply disapeared ! Lost ! Gone! Do you know the feeling you fall from the Empire State Building and there is nothing you can do but get scarred ?

It´s nothing compared to what i felt! So we checked all the places we had been : shops, restaurants... No chance. as i gave up and was already sitting, i realised we hadn´t check the office where we bought the passes. And now, fasten you belts and listen to this : The office was already closed. But i noticed a woman in the backgound so knocked the door. She said (i could read her lips) : Sorry, we are closed ! And i said, putting my hands together : please, please ! She opened the door and said : Oh you are the Passport guy ! :-) A collegue of her founded it in the gutter just in front of the office !!!! We spent an hour with this woman (Louise) talking about all and nothing and we will have diner tomorow the three of us!

After that we went to the jazz club dizzy (Time Warner ?) but we got too tired changed our mind and we went home. Not bad for my first day in the US !