Apple has published an excellent Storage Solutions primer. The document outlines a variety of options and then leaves it to the reader to consider what’s most appropriate for their needs. Recommended.
The Holga camera is a Chinese copy of a dubious Soviet-era camera. Using 120 roll-film, it’s beauty is in its flaws, of which there are many (so that makes it very beautiful).
Made entirely of 100% A-Grade Chinese plastic, the Holga takes truly unique photos thanks to the fact that it leaks light and boasts incredibly average optics – not to mention the stunning lack of controls. By taking this anti-perfectionist approach, the Holga encourages creativity through simplicity, results are tinged with a certain randomness – and a dose of luck. As a result, the Holga (and it’s sister the Lomo) has achieved something of a cult status.
Search these two cameras on Flickr and all sorts of amazing images appear – from the curious to the bland, but each with the signature look of a one-off, something never to be repeated. That makes these cameras quite special.
You can buy one from a dedicated shop like the Lomography Centre in Sydney for around $145 (considering there’s about $5 in parts – that makes it an expensive toy), so the wiser will let their fingers do the walking and click their way to the many sellers on eBay – here you will find new cameras fresh from the injection moulder and ready to ship from Hong Kong for about $50 delivered (for the “luxury” flash model).
Any 120 roll film can be loaded, but try Ilford’s XP2 400. This Black and White film is unusual in that it’s processed in C41 chemicals, which are normally the domain of colour processing.
You’ll have lots of happy accidents with your Holga, from double-exposures to blurry images, suddenly you’re making some very distinctive art.
Wikipedia has a good page on all things Holga if you want to know more.
Bizarre scenes and Britney Spears are nothing new, but the vultures chasing her ambulance are a new low. No doubt they see no link between this kind of pressure and her fragile state-of-mind. Where will this end up?
Photo Credit: Splash News Online
Hans Rosling shows (with great passion) just how the right graphics can brings reams of tables to life. It’s really quite extraordinary.
Why is free-to-air television getting so bad in Australia?
I don’t think it’s just me, but over the last five years or so it seems that there has been a steady decline in quality.
It’s a decline on two fronts; the programming, and the commercials. For starters it seems that new programs don’t get enough time to build an audience before their schedule is changed, in fact it’s not unusual to see a program dropped entirely after just three episodes. Obviously this is due to a concern with low audiences and the resulting sales implications, but this is where it gets Catch-22 as the frequent schedule changes and eventual cancellations fly in the face of any kind of audience growth.
Then there’s the commercials. Why are there so many ads that are characterised by frantic voice-overs, loud graphics jumping off the screen, font-soup and clip-art imagery? It could be that the broadcasters are offering “free TVC with your schedule” – in which case it’s proof that you get what you pay for…
Meantime, free-to-air viewing figures are in slow but steady decline. The rot has set in, but until the owners face up to these challenges I guess we’ll be hammered with more bad commercials and less investment in programming.
Nikon have a “significant” demand challenge on their hands. Their new D3 DSLR has quickly become the must have camera for pro photographers (and more than a few enthusiasts too I imagine). Being patient as I wait for mine is testing.
