Capture One V4 Beta2 Released

The Second Beta of Capture One 4 has just been released. My first impressions are that they have fixed quite a few of the obvious bugs, the controls seem more usable and it's relatively stable.

From the release notes:

What’s new from beta 1
This is a non-exhaustive list of issues we have solved with beta 2:

• Viewer adjustable background (Windows only)
• Importer (new on Windows)
• Improved, brighter and larger icons
• Better file management (drag and drop, rename, delete)
• More room for sliders (min max labels have been removed)

Capture One 4 beta 2 now runs on Windows Vista 64-bit edition and on Mac OS X
Leopard.

I processed this last night:

Stillness
(Click to view large)

And everything seemed to go swimmingly. Why not download it and have a play.
Please Note though this beta will not run on AMD XP processors.

In a separate announcement Capture One have signed a strategic agreement with Microsoft. Hopefully this should mean better integration of iView and C1 as part of an attempt to take on Lightoom and Aperture.

Forest Frolics

Well yesterday was the day of the 4th Annual Ephotozine Epping Forest trip. Considering that the trip is always held on the first day of British Winter Time, over the years we have been very fortunate with the weather. This year our luck wasn't so good as it was a decidedly damp day though the heavy rain held off for a while.

I was hopping that as the trees had started to turn that people would be able to get some shots of the foliage like this:

Autumn in Epping Forest
(Click to view Large)

But the wind made that a bit tricky.

A popular subject on the meet is the various forms of fungus that can be found in the forest. This year the fungus was thin on the ground and took some finding but most people got some shots. Though Nick Brandon had a rather interesting experience:

Things started off well, found a few decent fungi to photograph early on, great.

Had a little wander, further afield and found some more, got too engrossed and lost everyone.

After 3 1/2 hours I went towards a branch upon which I could see some porcelain fungus growing......

Next thing I know, I'm waist deep in foul smelling mud and sinking deeper every time I move.
Managed to claw my way out minus two wellies, heart was going like a steam train by this time.
I found a log that I could carry and put it where I thought my wellies were and after 20 minutes had managed to dig my wellies out !!!!!

After this mishap I looked back to where I had walked, no sign of a bog, just a carpet of golden leaves.

Moral of this story, BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE WOODS.......

Sorry Nick!

The meet ended with a few jars in a local ale house which gave us all a chance to warm up and chat. I don't normally take many shots on the meet as I enjoy myself chatting to the other photographers too much. I did manage to get this picture of some puffballs. For those of you who are interested in the technical details : 300mm f/4 & 1.4 extender - 30Seconds @ f/45..with 10 bursts of flash.

Puffballs
(Click to view large)

All in all an enjoyable day, despite the weather.

Exhausted

Hampshire police thought it would be a good idea to advertise on the rear of a bus. Their planning did not take into account the position of the exhaust pipe.....

Click to view Large
Photographer unknown

Recommended Kit - The Gepe Card Safe

Occasionally you come across a bit of kit that is brilliantly simple yet works perfectly. The Grepe Card Safe is just such a thing.It is really nothing special, just a plastic box to put your memory cards in, but the manufacturers have actually thought about how people will use it.

If you use the "face up = empty, face down = full" method of organizing your cards then it's little windows that allow you to see the cards are rather useful; no need to open the case to see what it contains.

More importantly they are pretty shockproof, waterproof and they float. This came as an absolute relief to me when shooting at West Burton Waterfall, clambering about on the rocks I looked down in to the stream and saw my cardsafe slowly floating down the stream! Luckily I managed to grab it before it disappeared out of site, over the lower falls and out to sea. The cards inside were completely safe and dry..marvellous.

Highly recommended for the disaster-prone outdoor photographer.

Fun in the Forest

If you are in the London area and have Sunday free then why not join us for The Ephotozine Epping Forest meet. I have been running the meet for the last four years and it's always been good fun. Groups of photographers spend the day spread out through the forest getting up lose and personal with some fungus and ferns.

A Drop in the Forest
(Click to view large)

As part of the preparation on Saturday morning I tried out an alternative location in the forest with Clive Burrow. I knew it would be a good morning as a shoot with Clive is always a pleasure.

Here is Clive's shot of me taking the above picture (blooming paparazzi you can't get away from them!).

The Friday Project - Another Update

Autumn in the City (Southwark Cathedral)

Being a successful blogger is all about giving your readers what they want. Hardly a day goes by with out an email arriving asking how my Friday Project is going. So for all of you who need to know here is an update.

Wood and Glass (Near City Hall)

I'm no longer heading out into the city on my own as I am now often joined by my friend Steve. Steve is new to photography and it's great to go shooting with someone for whom it's all new. Also Steve is a security guard magnet so whilst he is explaining to the security guard that he is not a professional/terrorist/pervert I can get on with the business of taking pictures.

Ropework (St.Katherines Dock)

The exercise of creating images in harsh lighting with limited time is still very stretching and pushes my creativity much further than turning up somewhere that is very photogenic and having all day to shoot it.

Instrumental (Royal Festival Hall)

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Starving a dog to death for "Art"

[[off-topic alert]]

A Costa Rican "artist" has captured a street dog then tied it up and allowed it to starve to death in the name of art. The full story can be found here.

[[rant alert]]
For a while now "conceptual" art has been the big thing in the art world. The trouble is most of the "concepts" on show are banal in the extreme, so artist move towards shock as a way to provoke a reaction. I am sure that the art intelligentsia are already moving to defend this "work" as provocative, ground-breaking or some other load of old tosh. It seems to be in their interests to push the idea that it's really just that detractors don't understand the art and if you were as clever and educated as they are you would understand and appreciate it. This smacks of the Emperors New Clothes to me.

On his blog the Artist/Animal-abuser points out that the dog was sick and would have died sooner or later anyway. Well wouldn't we all! It's the bit between birth and death that makes the difference. We all have the capacity to act as devils or angels and it's the choices we make that are important. But of course offering comfort, medical care and food to a dying animal wouldn't have given him the column inches he craves.

Apparently the abuser asked that people did not feed the dog or give it water and the visitors to his exhibition complied. Their appreciation of "art" apparently out-weighed any humanity they had. This art diminishes the humanity of all those who come into contact with it - how can that be of benefit to anyone?

The apologists will make claims that we shouldn't interfere with the artists vision...what complete b*****ks. If the artists vision had been to nail poor/sick children to the wall of his gallery - would we allow that? after all they were going to die any way.

The final thing you hear trotted out is that the important thing is that the art "provoked a reaction". Well whoopy-dee, provoking a reaction is easy - if you don't believe me next time you are in work, take a dump on your boss's desk!

As far as I am concerned there is no justification for this sort of abuse as art and I sincerely hope that Guillermo Vargas starves to death sometime soon.
[[\rant alert]]

I have not linked directly to Guillermo Varga as hell would freeze over before I help someone like that improve their pagerank.
[[\off-topic alert]]

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