An out of this world camera specially for astro-photography….

Now that the summer is dwindling away and the night are drawing in it is now a great opportunity to get to grips with astro-photography and get mapping the night sky…

with the use of Canons eos 60DA designed specifically with night time photography in mind it brings this once specialist interest closer to reality for many budding astronomers.

Overview

A camera that performs out of this world!!

For photographers who look to the sky, Canon is proud to offer the new EOS 60Da DSLR. Following in the popularity of the EOS 20Da, the EOS 60Da is tailor made just for astrophotography. It’s designed to ensure accurate depictions of the reddish hues when photographing diffuse nebulae in the night sky with the increased sensitivity of hydrogen-alpha (Hα) lines (656nm). With the same advanced features of the EOS 60D DSLR, including a Variable-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor for Live View compositions, an amazing 18.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100-6400 (expandable to 12800) and more, the EOS 60Da is both capable and simple. Perfect for long exposures while gazing up into the sky, there’s nothing like the EOS 60Da.

Features

Increased IR sensitivity for astro-photography (IR cut filter is modified to achieve a hydrogen-alpha (Hα) light (656nm) transparency approximately three times higher than the EOS 60D) allowing crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, ISO 100-6400; expandable to ISO 12800 (H) and high performance DIGIC 4 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and low noise based on the EOS 60D.

Variable angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor (3:2) with approximately 1,040,000 dots delivers comfortable shooting at high or low angles and detailed focusing during Live View astro-photography.

Newly bundled Remote Controller Adapter RA-E3 allows compatibility with the optional Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3 for accurate control of long exposures and automatic shooting of repetitive shots with the interval timer.

Compatible with Canon’s extensive family of EF and EF-S lenses and EOS accessories.
 
Brilliant Capture of the Entire Spectrum of Colour in the Sky.
 
Increased IR sensitivity for astrophotography allowing crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae. 

To capture the full range of colours given off by diffuse nebulae in the sky, the EOS 60Da features a specially tailored infrared blocking filter that allows the light normally blocked by a typical DSLR’s filter to be captured by the camera’s sensor. This means that the reddish hydrogen-alpha (Hα) light (656nm) gasses unseen by a normal DSLR are captured brightly and clearly on the EOS 60Da. With its modified infrared blocking filter, the EOS 60Da captures approximately 3x the hydrogen-alpha (Hα) rays than the EOS 60D, resulting in astrophotography that is sharper, clearer and more accurate in the depiction of naturally occurring reddish hues of diffuse nebulae.

Specifications

Type
Digital, AF/AE single-lens reflex, camera with built-in flash

Recording Media
SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards

Image Format
Approx. 0.88 x 0.59 in. / 22.3 x 14.9mm (APS-C size)

Compatible Lenses
Canon EF and EF-S Lenses (35mm-equivalent focal length is approx. 1.6x the lens focal length)

Lens Mount
Canon EF mount

Image Sensor

Type
High-sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor

Pixels
Effective: Approx. 18.0 Megapixels: 5200 (H) x 3462 (V) pixels

Total Pixels
19.0 Megapixels: 5432 (H) x 3492 (V) pixels

Aspect Ratio
3:2 (Horizontal: Vertical)

Colour Filter System
RGB primary colour filters

Low Pass Filter
Fixed position in front of the image sensor

Dust Deletion Feature
(1) Self Cleaning Sensor Unit

·

by Glyn Ridgers

info courtesy of Canon USA

“ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow". – Imogen Cunningham

So keep on shooting my friends!!

Charles Roscoe Savage

August 16, 2012 Born 180 years ago on 16 August 1832, Charles Roscoe Savage was a British-born landscape and portrait photographer who produced images of the American West. He became one of the foremost 19th century landscape photographers of the western United States, as well as a renowned studio portrait photographer, with his studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Shortly after his 1848 baptism and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Savage emigrated to the United States where he initially found work as a photographer in New York City. On assignment from the LDS Church he traveled to Nebraska, where he established a  studio. In the spring of 1860, he traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory with his family, where he established another photography studio with a partner, Marsena Cannon, an early Utah daguerreotypist and photographer. A year later, after Cannon moved to southern Utah, Savage established a partnership with artist George Ottinger. Many of Savage’s photographs were reproduced in Harper’s Weeklynewspaper, which created a national reputation for the firm. This partnership continued until 1870, when Savage formed the Pioneer Art Gallery, and in 1875, needing more space, he replaced it with the Art Bazaar which -in 1883- burned to the ground with all of his negatives.

As a photographer under contract with the Union Pacific Railroad, Savage traveled to California in 1866 and then followed the rails back to Utah. He photographed the linking of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific on Promontory Summit, at Promontory, Utah in 1869. This series is considered his most famous work. Other well known Savage images include pictures of the Great Basin tribes, especially the Paiute and Shoshone. Savage photographed scenic areas of the west including Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, and created many images documenting the growth of Utah towns and cities. He also traveled extensively over western North America, taking pictures in areas of Canada and Mexico, and in areas from the Pacific Ocean to Nebraska in the mid-west.

After his death on 4 February 1909, another fire -in 1911- destroyed all of the negatives from the last 25 years of his career.

Residence of Pres[iden]t B. Young, front. [Temple]. Alternate Title: Utah. Charles Roscoe Savage

Shore of Salt Lake. Charles Roscoe Savage. Medium: albumen print.

Cactus growth, Arizona. Charles Roscoe Savage. Created ca. 1875. Medium: albumen print.

The old mill. Charles Roscoe Savage. Alternate Title: Utah. Medium: albumen print.

Interior of Tabernacle. Alternate Title: Utah. Charles Roscoe Savage. Medium: albumen print.

Foundation of Temple. Alternate Title: Utah. Charles Roscoe Savage. Medium: albumen print.

Cathedral Rocks. Alternate Title: Views of the Great West, from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, Colorado series. Charles Roscoe Savage

by Glyn Ridgers

Courtesy of Photography News

Stunning Wall Art!………Cunning Photography!

We at Loft A love these images, you have to appreciate the creativity and skill of the street artists who create these incredible pieces of urban art as much as you have to credit the photographers for composing and using the street art to produce uber interesting images…..enjoy!

Glyn

Walk on by by Lachlan Hardy, on Flickr
Liberty by kamshots, on Flickr

Bicycle Race by Tony Fischer Photography, on Flickr

Urban nature by pushthisbutton, on Flickr

Streets of Bristol by geezaweezer, on Flickr

Bob Marley mural on Haight street by Franco Folini, on Flickr

Takin’ it to the BANK$Y by guano, on Flickr

Si lo dice Ernesto… by Libertinus, on Flickr

Stampede! by MSVG, on Flickr

Bradley Manning & Bidder #70 by Poster Boy NYC, on Flickr

Getting Started by davitydave, on Flickr

“We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest” by Tony Fischer Photography, on Flickr

Mural by Daquella manera, on Flickr

Yashagana on a wall – 3 by ZeHawk, on Flickr

I have a dream by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Everybody wants to ride! by eva101, on Flickr

The Streets of Santiago, People seem Strange when you’re a Stranger by geezaweezer, on Flickr

real and unreal (CC) by marfis75, on Flickr

banksy: balloon girl. Old Street London by Stew Dean, on Flickr

Shimokita Night #1 by Guwashi999, on Flickr

Lomo graffiti collision by srboisvert, on Flickr

Graffiti near Borough Market by dan taylor, on Flickr

by Glyn Ridgers

courtesy of Lightstalking

Which of these is your Art of Building?

 

Which of these is your Art of Building?

CIOB invites the world to decide the outcome of its 2012 international photography contest winner

 

 

 

Ascot, Berkshire 16 August 2012: A clash of bold steel and colour at London’s flagship Olympic Stadium, a young pilgrim transfixed by an abandoned synagogue and a panoramic view of Hong Kong are just some of the artistic subjects to reach the final of this year’s Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) international Art of Building photography competition.

The twelve shortlisted images truly captured the imagination of the judging panel, which included Peter Murray,founder and director of the New London Architecture Centre and the renowned architect, writer and broadcaster, Maxwell Hutchinson. Among other qualities, the “power,” “elegance” and “humour” of the subjects and the composition of the photographs really struck a chord.

Now that the judges have had their say, the CIOB is inviting everyone to decide which of the twelve finalists will be awarded the prestigious title of ‘Art of Building Photographer of the Year’ and scoop a cash prize of £2,000. Voting is free and will take place via the competition website at artofbuilding.org.

“It was another very strong year for the contest, with imaginative entries from around the world,” says CIOB Art of Building manager, Saul Townsend. “The twelve shortlisted images are sure to divide opinion. Fortunately, it’s free to vote for your favourite, so we’re now urging everyone, everywhere to get online and decide the winner.”

The contest, which celebrates creativity in the construction industry, is also set to raise much-needed funds for a major project to build hurricane and earthquake resilient schools in Haiti, organised by development and disaster relief organisation, Article 25. A selection of the imaginative entries will be auctioned for the charity later in the year.

Voting will open on 16 August and close on 6 September. For more details on the competition and to vote, log on to www.artofbuilding.org. The competition can also be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Art_of_Building

 by Glyn Ridgers

Brian Smith….Our Digital Planet competition winner…

Winning Image Cloud Computing

Winning image by Brian Smith……Cloud Computing

Read on for a quick interview with Brian…
Q: What do you do in terms of a career?

A: After working as a Graphic Designer for a number of years I moved into teaching and have been   working as a college lecturer at Forth Valley College for the past 15 years.

Q: Where do you live now?

A:Tullibody, and have done for the best part of my 44 years.

Q: Does any of your family still live in Tullibody?

A: Most of my close family still live locally.

Q: Are you a keen photographer?

A: Keen and persistent (until I get it right).

Q: What inspired you to enter the competition and/or your particular photo?

A: Having a daily photo journal on blipfoto, and having not missed a day on that for over 1100 consecutive days, I’m always looking for inspiration to continue with that. This appealed to me as a technology loving blipped and photographer.

Q: At what age did your interest in photography start?

A: I have always had an interest in the visual arts, but the advent of affordable digital cameras in the early to mid 2000s re-ignited an interest in the photographic side.

Q: Do you have a particular area of photography you enjoy the most?

A:  At a push I’d say I had a leaning towards landscape photography, mainly because we live in an area that has such easily accessible and picturesque subject matter. In saying that, I enjoy taking any kind of photo and get just as big a kick, if not more, out of what happens after the shutters clicked, working creatively to post process an image until it matches the image I had in my mind’s eye when I captured it.

Q: How old are you?

A: 44.

For further information and for Brian’s other works, visit http://www.blipfoto.com/delphwynd/about

Check out these other entries below…..

Learning Origami
Photo submitted by Charlie Jourdan currently living in Belgium.

Skyping Grandma
Photo submitted by Clair Guinaudeau from Lincolnshire, but currently living in Normandy, France.

A lifeline to the outside world
Photo submitted by Bruce Chadwick from Nantwich, Cheshire Bruce Chadwick and currently working in Iraq.

Neighbours can help
Photo submitted by John Pickin and taken by Chris Callow from Sheffield

by Glyn Ridgers

New report challenges the assumption that all young people are digitally savvy – 10 per cent of young people rarely use the internet –

 

A new report commissioned by the Nominet Trust shows that 10 per cent of all young people aged between 17 and 23 years old rarely use the internet, if at all. It also revealed that some of those surveyed were embarrassed to admit to even friends that they didn’t understand how to use the internet properly and some were unable to use email.

The research ‘On the periphery? Understanding low and discontinued Internet use amongst young people in Britain’, conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University, reveals that those young people who rarely use the internet lack the skills, motivation or simply don’t have access to the internet to use it.

The study launched today coincides with the opening of a national exhibition of photography Our Digital Planetwhich will visit cities around the UK and showcase images of how the internet has had an impact on people’s lives. The exhibition includes an image submitted by amateur photographer Brian Smith from Clackmannanshire, Scotland following a UK-wide competition that invited the public to share what the internet means to them via photography. The winning image entitled Cloud computing provides a view on the world from Brian’s alfresco office – where he enjoys a pleasant afternoon working in the sunshine while listening to digital radio all thanks to the internet.

Nominet Trust’s aim in running the exhibition is to highlight the value of the internet to all – including those young people who are currently unable or unwilling to use it. In each location there will be an Internet Station where volunteers will help people to develop the skills to use and understand the internet.

 

Annika Small, Director of Nominet Trust said: “The report shows that the widely-held assumption that all young people are digitally literate and able to navigate the internet meaningfully is inaccurate. This is something we urgently need to address if we are to support young people to cope with – and contribute to – a complex, global and digital society.

“The study also highlighted that it is often those young people with low literacy levels who don’t use the internet, either because of lack of skills or lack of access. In this digital world, we need to ensure that all young people can be confident users of the internet and have access to it and the support needed to develop the skills to be able to use the internet successfully.”

The research suggests that young people without basic educational skills find they are unable to complete internet searches successfully, usually because of low literacy levels. The cost and a lack of access to the internet also play a huge part in them not being able to successfully use the internet.

Most of the young people identified as discontinued internet users were currently unemployed and a number of them had not finished secondary education.

One of the images in the exhibition is “Knit The City Phone Box” pictured below by Lauren O’Farrell

‘Knit the City Phone Box’ by Lauren O’Farrell www.knitthecity.com

www.knitthecity.com

To find out more about Nominet Trust’s Our Digital Planet exhibition please visit www.ourdigitalplanet.co.uk

Find out more about Brian Smith and his photography on the next entry

by Glyn Ridgers

Stuck Between the Tracks. A Photo Essay by Muhammed Furqan…

This a great piece by Muhammed Furgan bringing the anguish of the so called “slum people” to our attention….his images really make you feel how it must be for these poor people to live in such dreadful conditions and to live each day thinking that theses dreadful conditions….there homes…could be ripped down in seconds by the government  leaving them shelter-less and homeless in a bid to clean up the city…… by Glyn Ridgers

Mareerr Hassan Slum in Rawalpindi

August 10, 2012 /Photography News/ Between two rail tracks near Rawalpindi railway station in Pakistan lies a 35 years old slum called ‘‘Mareerr Hassan Basti’’ named after a square nearby. With a population of 1000, about 80 families live in government land between the two tracks. With absence of basic facilities like health, education, hygiene and drinking water, one is left in awe to see the living conditions these families live in. The families living here belong to ‘‘Od’’ community who make their living by begging, day labouring, and even prostitution.

Photos and text: Muhammed Furqan. All rights reserved.
Website: http://www.fotoqan.com

About 50 trains pass through the two railway lines which run parallel to the slum

A sewerage system is non-existent and litter fills the pathways

Traditionally, Od men spend most time at home taking care of children as women go out to beg

With no schools in the slum, children spend most of their time in the playground nearby

These slum kids have no future other than beggary or even crime

An Od woman preparing lunch for the family

The residents of the slum live in constant fear of city municipal authorities who tear up their tents in a drive to ‘‘clean up the city’’

Meals are prepared for multiple families at once

In case of rain, the slum is literally filled with rain water

Residents tell its difficult to even walk in case of heavy rains

A train passing by the slum

Another view of the slum

 by Glyn Ridgers

David Bailey Video…

This guy is an uber-legend in the world of photography…well worth watching this video about the master….

by Glyn Ridgers

Canon join the mirror-less revolution…

 

Canon is joining the mirror-less camera movement, following in Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Nikon’s footsteps with the Canon M camera, which the company announced in July ….though — it won’t be available until October.

By removing the mirror, photographers get a much smaller camera body — a little larger than a point and shoot, with picture quality that’s about on par with a digital SLR. Without a mirror, their is no viewfinder so you will have to compose your shots by looking at the image on the rear LCD screen like you do with a point and shoot.

The EOS M has interchangeable lenses — including two new ones specifically for the EOS M  a 22mm f 2.0 pancake wide-angle, and 18-55mm f. 3.5-5.6 zoom. A bonus for owners of Canon’s Rebel or 5D digital SLRs — you can purchase an adapter for around £350 which will allow you to put your old Canon lenses on the new camera.

Here are the specs……

18mp APS-C
DIGIC V
ISO 100-12800 (25,600 Expansion)
3″ Touch screen 1.04million pixels
Phase & Contrast AF
Video Servo AF
1920×1080 Video 30p/25p/24p
1280×720 Video 60p/50p
MPEG-4, AVC/H.264
SD Card
Adaptor at launch for EF lenses
Hand-held Twilight mode, to help with long exposures in low light.
Multi-shot noise reduction function that helps reduce the noise by combining four images.
The usual creative filters
HDR mode to synthesize three different exposures
Camera size: 66.5mm (width) 108.6mm (height) x 32.3mm (depth)
The weight (body only) 262g, (including battery and memory card) 298g

by Glyn Ridgers