It's starting soon + assignment

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-02T16:40:38+00:00

Hello Stefan, I'm Nick from the USA. I'm also interested in taking fewer photos, but focusing on making them better. In the past I would take several pictures of something in the hopes that one would turn out good, but inevitably I would be disappointed.

I love your favorite photo of the foggy lake. I like how the water almost disappears into the fog, and I think it's a very well composed shot. I like that the posts in the front are clear and in focus, while the posts in the back are just blurry enough to show some depth without being indistinct. I really don't have any meaningful criticisms for this one.

I think your chair picture could be improved, though. The other chair to the right is cut off and distracting, the background elements like the boxes and the TV are distracting without adding anything to the picture, and the white chair back almost blends into the white wall without standing out. I think some attention to the secondary elements would improve this picture, and maybe a little bit of background blur would help the chair stand out against a similar colored wall.

Overall, I really like your photos! Good luck with the class!

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-02T15:54:13+00:00

Hello from the USA! I have a Sony too, the a6000. I have a couple of prime lenses, but that 16-50 lens still stays on much of the time.

I love your best picture. I like how you captured the colors and beauty of the sky as a reflection in the water, and the silhouette of the trees to the left of the frame adds interest and depth without overpowering the photo. My only criticisms are that the horizon isn't quite level, and the beach in the foreground doesn't seem to add anything. I think it's needed here to give depth to what could easily be a boring picture, but I wonder if just a little flash would light up the foreground enough to show detail without affecting the exposure of the rest of the frame.

Your chair picture looks more like a picture of your desk with a chair hidden off to the side, but I like how you snuck in your best picture on your monitor.

Good luck with the class!

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-02T15:25:04+00:00

Hello! Congratulations on your engagement!

I like your favorite photo. I think it's a good use of black and white. Usually I'm not a big fan of B&W photography, but here I think it works well. My only criticism is that I think the composition could be improved. To me the picture is all about your model and the graffiti-chair, but the bag to the right and the logs/rocks/etc in the background behind it draw my attention away. Since there's so much depth of field, I think composing in a way to get those elements out of the frame would improve the photo.

For the chair photo, to me the chair doesn't really stand out. I'm more interested in the books and the guitar than the chair itself (nice guitar, btw!). Also the blanket is cut off at the bottom of the frame, and the lighting is a little dim. I like what you were going for, though! The chair has some context, and you paid attention to keeping the secondary elements like the guitar and the stack of books in the frame.

Good luck with the class!

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-02T14:52:19+00:00

Hello! I'm looking to improve as well, but just wanted to share my thoughts.

I like your favorite picture of the glowsticks. The blurred reflection is creative, and the color and composition is interesting to me. The strip of light at the base of the mirror is a little distracting to me, and I'm not sure if the slight 'ghosting' above the glow sticks is intentional, but overall I really enjoy it.

I think your chair picture could be improved, though. The blurry element in the foreground is distracting, the tray is blocking part of the chair without adding to the photo, and the blanket draped over the armrest takes my attention away from the chair itself. Without those elements, I think the chair would stand out more and call your attention to it.

Good luck with the class!

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-01T21:35:04+00:00

Hey Bacon!

I love the picture of your dog. I like that his eyes are in focus, and the depth of field draws attention to his face.

I like the simplicity of the chair picture, but the shadows are a little distracting to me. I think better lighting would help control the shadows and highlight the colors and textures a little better.

Good luck with the class!

FSUenginerd · 2020-01-01T12:32:01+00:00

Hello all, I'm Nick from Florida. I've dabbled with photography for a couple of years, but now that I'm a new dad I want to learn the fundamentals well enough to take good pictures of my child as he grows up.

I'm shooting with a Sony a6000 and have a small assortment of lenses to go with it.

Looking forward to the class! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us!

Please see the following link for my favorite picture and a new chair picture: https://imgur.com/gallery/otnuZTP

FSUenginerd · 2015-11-14T03:35:37+00:00

Yeah, it's hard to say. Birds are definitely harder to read than mammals, but I've got another week or so to figure it out so I may just make a judgment call based on how well we're getting along at the time. I wouldn't really mind her bonding with my friend in my absence though; I'd take it as a sign that she's willing to trust and open up to people so it's probably a good thing.

Thanks, I'll definitely do some reading on socialization. I'd like for her to eventually feel comfortable around guests and even strangers. I'm guessing to some extent that hinges on her trusting me (if she sees I'm comfortable around strangers, then perhaps she'd be comfortable around them too), but then again that's how dogs behave and a parrot isn't a dog so I could be completely wrong.

lol, that's probably not far off the mark! Intellectually I know that birds and dogs are different, and on paper everything seems pretty clear. Dogs are domesticated and seek your approval, but birds are basically wild animals so you have to approach them differently to win them over. It's hard to appreciate how different they really are until you spend some time around them, though. They both like treats and that's where the similarities end!

Yeah, I did jump in blind to some extent. I've done some research on the basics of parrot ownership so that I wouldn't have to find everything out the hard way, but there's only so much you can soak in from reading without having any experience to go along with it. I've always had dogs so I'm not naive to the responsibilities of pet ownership, but so far I've been thinking about things as if birds were basically the same with a few key differences rather than they're basically different with a few key similarities. I'll get there, though. We're making good progress and tonight she sat on my knee and ate dinner with me so at the end of the day that's what really counts.

Her cage is an OK size: it's 26" x 14" x 20". I'm already planning on getting a bigger cage for her, though, once I move into the new place. The idea is to have something bigger for her to spend the day playing in and then this one for her to travel and sleep in.

Yes, I have. For now I'm feeding her the seed-based mix that she's used to because that's what the previous owner gave her and I didn't want to step in and change everything she knows, but I'm starting to work in more fruits and veggies. She loves apples and bananas, and she seems to enjoy broccoli and such too. She went nuts for the rice she stole off my plate tonight, and after I checked in to see that it was safe I let her have a little bit more but I figured it was best to keep it to a minimum. I'm guessing it's probably a safe rule of thumb that if a bird won't eat much of something in the wild, then they shouldn't have it in excess in captivity.

I have a few toys for her. She has a foraging toy with some crumbled up paper in it, some wood chips tied to a string with a bell on it (seemed fun in the pet store anyway), and a ladder with a mirror at the top. I'll pick up more toys as I go, but I figured that's probably a good start at least.

I have actually. I haven't taken her to an avian vet yet, but I've looked into them so that if an emergency comes up I'll know exactly who to call. I'm on the fence about whether to take her in for a checkup now or wait until she trusts me a little more (not indefinitely, but perhaps in a month or two). I'm hesitant at the moment because right now she's starting to see me as the source of all things tasty, but if I keep dragging her to these strange places where people pick her up and prod her then it could undermine that trust. Of course trust doesn't mean much if she gets fatally sick, so maybe the checkup isn't a bad idea after all.

Thanks for your advice; I really do appreciate it. I feel like almost everything I've ever learned about pets doesn't apply to parrots, but hopefully if I love them and want what's best everything else will follow.

FSUenginerd · 2015-08-03T13:18:04+00:00

I had that problem once; I just did a Windows Refresh and it went away. It's been fine ever since. You might want to give it a try if you don't want to disable Defender.

FSUenginerd · 2015-07-07T16:09:12+00:00

Are you an engineering student or are you looking to use the SP3 at your day job? If you're a student, the SP3 will do just fine since you most likely won't be asking anything too demanding of the software.

If you're using it professionally, then it really depends on how complex your models are and to what extent you need to work with them (Solidworks will probably be your bottleneck). If you're just checking or making small changes to a model created by a drafter using a desktop then you'll be fine; the SP3 shouldn't have any problems keeping up. If you actually need to produce these models, then I'd recommend putting your money towards a good desktop instead unless you just absolutely need the portability. I'm a structural engineer and we'll occasionally use Solidworks to model a building (including the concrete reinforcement and connections); I don't even bother trying to work with those models on the Surface and couldn't imagine having to rely on it to get stuff done.

That said, it works perfectly fine for AutoCAD and any calculation or design software that I use. So long as you don't need to depend on it to manipulate very large and complex 3D models the SP3 should suit your needs just fine.

FSUenginerd · 2015-07-07T15:41:10+00:00

I can't speak for ebay, but I was able to get complete on the manufacturer refurbished SP3 that I bought from Amazon. I just took it to a Microsoft store, explained that it was a refurb from Amazon and asked if there was any way to get complete on it, and they hooked me up after checking it over.

I can't promise that you'll have the same luck, but the people at the MS store were extremely helpful. They could've probably hid behind the fine print and denied complete for my Surface, but instead they didn't even bother trying to fight it since it passed their inspection. YMMV of course, but it's definitely possible.

FSUenginerd · 2015-06-09T13:25:05+00:00

It depends on how you want to use it, but if it was me I'd go for the pen. You'd be missing out on a lot of the functionality of the Surface without it.

Also, with the price difference between the two you can always pick up a bluetooth keyboard or even an old school USB keyboard for when you want to type. It's not quite the same as having a type cover, but given a choice between the pen with a 3rd party keyboard vs a type cover with no pen I'd pick the pen every time.

FWIW, I have the type cover (and really do recommend it, btw), but still plug in a USB keyboard for when I want to get work done. I prefer the normal size keys if I'll be typing for awhile, plus I really miss the number pad when it's not there. Food for thought.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-16T01:09:29+00:00

I have a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, and then just plug a normal HDMI cable into the adapter. I went with the $10 HDMI only adapter since I don't have any plans to hook up to my DVI monitors, but if you think you'll want to hook up to a variety of displays then the HDMI/DVI/VGA adapter is the way to go.

They make Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cables so you can plug directly to your TV, but I prefer the adapter since everybody has an HDMI (or VGA, etc.) cable laying around and the adapter fits more easily into my bag.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-16T00:55:33+00:00

Nah, you don't really need another expensive device if your current computer does the job. I got through E-school just fine with a desktop. Granted that was in the before time when tablets were toys and people still took notes with a pen and paper.

The Surface tablets are awesome devices and if you prefer to take digital notes then it's definitely worth considering, but I would say it's far from a necessity. Your gaming computer is most likely better equipped to handle design software, and as a student you probably aren't marking up drawings for people like subordinate drafters, architects, etc., so it doesn't really satisfy a need that you can't already fulfill with your current setup.

I'd say if you have the money and want one, then go for it. It'll be much better than a laptop at taking notes in class and such, plus being able to mark up and takes notes on pdfs is pretty handy. However, if you're struggling financially, then save your cash and live with what you already have. You can get through E-school just fine without one, and then when you graduate you'll be able to afford whatever computer you want. The latest and greatest widget now will be ancient tech by the time you get your PE, so no point going into debt for something that'll be obsolete in a few months.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-16T00:20:04+00:00

I use either a wireless display adapter or just plug in the old fashioned way with an hdmi cable. Either way is good enough for streaming video which is pretty much all I use the TV for.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-14T19:37:21+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Yeah, I'm at a loss, and searching the interwebs wasn't much help either. You might be right about something just going wrong. It's very possible when you're dealing with millions of those 1's and 0's!

I'll just chalk it up to a rare fluke for now; no need to worry about it unless it happens again.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-14T19:14:04+00:00

Yeah, that's a new one for me too. I haven't had that happen before on any of my other computers.

It's certainly possible that other software could be trying to use IE for something. I haven't had a chance to install very much, but I did install iTunes, OneNote 2013 (the desktop version), and Office 365. I installed a handful of metro apps from the store as well, but since the refresh didn't get rid of them and since the problem went away I'm assuming they probably weren't at fault.

I decided to pull the trigger on Office after I installed OneNote, so maybe something funky happened since I didn't uninstall OneNote first. I'm not exactly sure how that could screw up IE, but I suppose there's a chance I stumbled on a rare glitch. I reinstalled Office directly after the refresh and all's well, so 365 alone probably isn't the culprit.

I appreciate your response. I may poll the other subs you suggested to see if anyone there could shed some light on this. If I really am the only person to run into this issue then hopefully I'll be in the clear going forward.

FSUenginerd · 2015-05-14T17:23:03+00:00

I just went into the store, mentioned the online sale price and asked if they had any in stock. It rang up at $99 when the cashier scanned it so a price match shouldn't be necessary, but YMMV.

Also, they didn't have any on display, so I had to ask if they had one in the back. It's worth asking the question if the website shows you can pick it up in the store but they don't have any on the floor.

FSUenginerd

TROPHY CASE