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CHATTERBOX

Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Sat Jun 24, 2017 9:32 pm

Petronius wrote:I don't have a photo editing program, I find Photos, despite its irritations is enough for me now. When working I had a copy of Photoshop from the University but never got the hang of it really. We did some nice pages of the grandchildren but that was about it.
The constant updates drive me, and a lot others, to despair.


Petronius, try Zoner. There is a free version to be had here:
https://zoner-photo-studio-free.en.softonic.com/

It doesn't have layering, but it allows you to make HDRs (and they are quite natural looking, too), for instance.
It is fairly easy to use and if you play with it a bit you'll soon get the hang of it.

Here's the chocolate kiss I had tonight and I used Zoner's HDR function for it. The light wasn't very good, and it did well to get it like that.

ImageSchokokuss by natterjack3, auf Flickr

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renée » Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:58 pm

Excellent photo, Uschi! I would love to eat that right now!

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:14 am

They are very yummy, but I can't eat them every day.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:07 pm

Great picture Uschi but I could no more eat one of those than fly to the moon.!

I'm afraid my posting photos has come to a halt since I got my new laptop. Windows 10 and me don't seem to get along too well, especially with regards photos.

Meanwhile we have been suffering from a ridiculous June heatwave which has broken all records. It is supposed to break today but absolutely no sign of anything so far. We were going out for lunch but it has been put back until this evening because only mad dogs etc go out in the midday sun.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:01 pm

What is the problem, Joan. Maybe we can help?

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renée » Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:59 pm

I'm sorry for the problems that you're having with Windows 10. I looked around online and wonder if this will be helpful:

http://www.dummies.com/computers/operat ... indows-10/

I did download Windows 10, but got rid of it and went back to Windows 7. Mind you, I should have put more effort into learning to use it.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby jeral » Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:04 pm

That chocolate kiss, Uschi, looks like the fluffy marshmallow cornets as a kid that (like ice cream) you could lick out with your tongue, as opposed to gelatine set mallow.

OK, not the point since you were explaining how clever HDR software can now almost appear to be taken for granted as a push-button norm. "Appear" because it assumes resisting the temptation of hours getting hooked on fiddling about to make an image "even better". Petronius is a painter though, so he'll know that when you get to the end, stop ;)

As for Windows 10, the only problem I had really was that it was a pain to identify which software I use might be causing a problem until I upgraded it to 10 version.

Can't say I've had any problems with uploading photos so can't help why you are having any, Joanbunting. I have a feeling you were going for a Mac; if you did, I wouldn't have a clue although I could ask on another forum if I knew what to ask, i.e. problem needing to be solved. Of course, trying to think in hot heat automatically means it's tomorrow's problem. Hope it cools down for you soon.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:41 pm

Jeral, I don't turn everything into an HDR, but in some cases (strong contrasts, for instance) it is a useful function to have, adding depth.
Some programs overdo this effect, but Zoner's offerings usually look very natural.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Petronius » Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:00 am

Jeral, unfortunately I don't always stop when I should. Just messed up a waterfall painting because – 'just another touch there, oh got that wrong, but if I do a flick over there, oh … etc.'

Thanks Uschi I'll have a look at it. Photographs taken in strong sunlight make the shadows look black, details difficult to see. Would Zoner help to 'lighten my darkness'?

Windows 10 – OH got so frustrated with it, she gave up using her laptop altogether and now just uses an iPad, particularly for photos.

Total change of subject. Bristol Hippodrome last week to see Thoroughly Modern Millie – wonderful opening number though first half a bit long, second half brilliant. Comedy sequence featuring a drunk was the funniest thing I've seen since I saw Norman Wisdom on Ice in 1954. I was crying with laughter.

Talking of paintings. Gill, how did the open studio event go?

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Pampy » Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:02 pm

jeral wrote:
Can't say I've had any problems with uploading photos so can't help why you are having any, Joanbunting. I have a feeling you were going for a Mac; if you did, I wouldn't have a clue although I could ask on another forum if I knew what to ask, i.e. problem needing to be solved. Of course, trying to think in hot heat automatically means it's tomorrow's problem. Hope it cools down for you soon.

Won't be a Mac if it's running Windows 10.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Mon Jun 26, 2017 1:12 pm

Petronius wrote:Jeral, unfortunately I don't always stop when I should. Just messed up a waterfall painting because – 'just another touch there, oh got that wrong, but if I do a flick over there, oh … etc.'

Thanks Uschi I'll have a look at it. Photographs taken in strong sunlight make the shadows look black, details difficult to see. Would Zoner help to 'lighten my darkness'?

Windows 10 – OH got so frustrated with it, she gave up using her laptop altogether and now just uses an iPad, particularly for photos.

Total change of subject. Bristol Hippodrome last week to see Thoroughly Modern Millie – wonderful opening number though first half a bit long, second half brilliant. Comedy sequence featuring a drunk was the funniest thing I've seen since I saw Norman Wisdom on Ice in 1954. I was crying with laughter.

Talking of paintings. Gill, how did the open studio event go?


Yes, it would. It has an edit function where you can play with light, shade, temperature and what have you.

If your camera has a bracketing function (i.e. takes a series of three differently lighted pictures, one correctly lighted, one heavy on shades and one lighter) then you can combine these three pictures in Zoner and it will give you a picture that has structure in the dark areas, well lit middles and highlights that aren't "bled out".

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:45 pm

I have an HP with Windows 10. I just can't find a way of uploading photographs and filing them in a sensible order. I still can't get my Windows 7 stuff accepted from the external hard disk I stored them on.

The blinking thing keeps popping up things to get more stuff. I am beginning to wish I had never bothered. I don't do, or want to do, all singing and dancing anything. Just store and file things logically- to me that is .

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Jun 26, 2017 3:17 pm

I don't have any particular problems with Windows 10 other than finding where things are hidden in control panel and the new version of Outlook, but then I used Windows all day every day fir decades, starting with version 3.1 so I guess it has trained me!

That sounds more like a hard drive issue than a Windows 10 issue Joan, on the face of it, the file formats (such as jpg or jpeg for photos) haven't changed, and although Microsoft Office has moved from doc to docx etc Windows 10 is fine with that

If you can find a PC geek, they probably won't charge you much to recover the files, but may need to do it via another machine

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:35 pm

Help is at hand M has downloaded Windows 10 for elderly thickos! We are working through it.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:46 pm

As for photographs, I don't use Windows for uploading them, either. Zoner does that for me, sorted by day,month, year.

If you can't resolve the issue with Windows, then simply get a free program to do it for you.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renée » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:56 pm

I've downloaded Zoner, Uschi, but haven't really used it yet. I need to read the instructions.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:15 am

It is relatively easy.
If you look at the top right hand riders you will find "Import", which will import pictures from your card for you and sort them.
Then there is a viewer and an editor, which you need to work on your pictures.
In the panel on the right you will find the sliding scales which are fairly straightforward, just try them out. The symbols need a bit of getting used to, but ultimately they work, too.


The HDR function is to be found in the manager.
There are quite a few functions that I haven't tried out, but on the whole it is well equipped.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renée » Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:05 pm

Thanks so much, Uschi. That's a big help and will save ages looking through the Help section.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Wed Jun 28, 2017 7:55 pm

Always glad to be of service! :balls

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Sakkarin » Sat Jul 01, 2017 12:00 pm

It had to happen eventually - a combination of cookery and dance, with a bit of comedy thrown in.

Sadly I missed this event in Watford town centre yesterday...

Oh well, maybe they'll return next year.

http://www.imaginewatford.co.uk/events/culinary-duel/

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