Picnik, the Free Online Photo Editor

Need a way to resize photos, adjust contrast/brightness in a computer lab, library or other environment where you can't install your own software? Modifying your pictures is a picnic with Picnik, the free, online photo editing site.

No membership is needed to use the site. You can read and save photos in a variety of formats: jpg, png, and tiff, just name a few. Recently Picnik has recently entered into a partnership with Flickr.com which allows users to edit their Flickr photos just by clicking a button on the same page with their pictures.

Currently the site is free. There are some premium features, such as levels and using histograms, that become accessible if you pay a membership fee. Most of what you want to do you can get done for free.

Is this site the same as having Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? No, but it does give you tremendous functionality for free, from any computer that has an internet connection. The Wall Street Journal's Personal Technology columnist Walter Mossberg likes it. Picnik.com has also been written up in a number of other publications:

PC World: Picnik.com-Outstanding online photo editing for casual photographers who live online.

Benedict Herold's Tech Corner Blog: Picnik, the Best Online Photo Editor

CNET's Webware site: Flickr gets Picnik's online photo editing

Accroding to CNET News, Adobe is currently working on an online photo editing program called Photoshop Express that is slated to launch later this year. For a reviews of other free online photo editors (such as of Fauxto, Picnik, Picture2Life, Pixenate, and Snipshot) visit this link.

Editing your photos online no matter where they are stored is the trend of the future as photography moves from editing, sharing and storage being done on the computer desktop to more of those functions being done on the Internet.

Focus the Camera After You've Taken the Picture?

According to CNet, a start-up company called Refocus Imaging has technology that will allow camera users to focus their images after taking the picture. The technology uses a special lens and software to capture information that is adjusted after the picture is taken. According to founder Ren Ng, "One way to think of it is just a raw image, except to the nth degree." The company is formed from Ng's research at Stanford University and has received funding from Greylock Partners. The company intends to license this technology to camera companies.

Visit the company's website and photo gallery to see photographs that allow the viewer to adjust the focus by dragging a slider on the right side of the image.

100 Photography Tips in 100 days-Part One

Adorama Camera did a blog posting where they compiled 100 Photography Tips in 100 Days . They shared these topics over the course of 100 days in their blog. Featured topics include How to Read a Histogram and Coping With Shutter Lag.

Thanks to Diane of the Cleveland Photographic Society for bringing this to my attention.

2/28: CDPUG Presents Google Applications

Want to know more about the wide world of Google applications? Attend the next meeting of the CDPUG (Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group) on Thursday, February 28th. The title of the presentation is "Rockin’ in the “G” World? What’s It Really Like in the Googleverse?" Topics include Picasa, Google spreadsheets, maps, calendar, alerts, Youtube and Google analytics. You will pick up a googol of useful insights from this presentation.

When: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Reception starts at 6:00 p.m.,
Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Speakers: The Cleveland G-7. Spike Radway, Howard Kass, Erin O'Brien, Henry Lee, Anita Orenick, Al Wasco, Penny Stetz

Where: Dodd Camera & Video (Downtown)Map & Driving Directions

Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-members.

Win a Trip to Cancun, Mexico in Plain Dealer Travel Contest

Want a trip to Cancun, Mexico? Enter the Plain Dealer Travel Photo Contest.

Photos must be received by Friday, March 14. Photos must have been taken after Jan. 1, 2006.

Four winners will be announced in the Travel section on Sunday, April 13. Three Ohioans with a background in the visual arts will serve as judges.

The grand-prize winner will receive a four-day, three-night stay at an all-inclusive resort for two in Cancun, Mexico, airfare included, courtesy of Encompass the World Travel. Second prize is a four-day, three-night Carnival Cruise for two from Miami (airfare not included), courtesy of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Third prize is an Olympus Stylus 770 SW digital camera from Dodd Camera and Imaging.

For more information, visit: http://www.cleveland.com/travel/

Photo Credit: j.lee43

Rocky Mountain School of Photography In Cleveland April 12-13

The Rock Mountain School of Photography will be offering a weekend course in Cleveland on two days this spring: April 12th and 13th at the Sheraton Cleveland Airport hotel.

The course content is extremely flexible. There are three courses offered each day and there is a a choice of three topics within each session. Topics include:

• Photography Basics
• Photography Basics II
• Understanding Your Digital Camera
• Image Management and Organization using Adobe Lightroom™
• Processing Your Images: The First Steps
• Processing Your Images: Fine Tuning with Layers and Masks
• Understanding Exposure – Zone System for Color
• Low Light and Night Photography
• Macro Photography
• Understanding Light
• Composition
• Photographing People
• Sunrises, Sunsets and Flowing Water
• Sports and Motion
• Photographic Techniques in Photoshop
• Critique

For a description of the topics, visit their courses section of the website.

When:
Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13, 2008
8 a.m. -4 p.m. each day
see schedule here

Cost:
Two days $169
One day $109
Save $5 when you register online.
Save $5 for Early Bird registration (30 days in advance).
Groups of 5 or more, save $20 per person for two days or $10 per person for one day. This may not be combined with online registration or early registration savings.
Add $10 if you are registering the day of the event.

For more information:
Visit the Weekend Course section of the RMSP website:
http://www.rmsp.com/Weekends/Default.aspx
800-394-7677

March 6th: Photography Lecture at the Akron Art Museum

Lecture:Photobiography with Martin Parr
March 6, 2008, 6:30 pm

British documentary photographer and photojournalist Martin Parr will lecture about his distinguished work and career. Parr’s photographic projects take a critical look at modern society, specifically consumerism, foreign travel and tourism, motoring, family and relationships and food. This lecture is sponsored by The University of Akron Myers School of Art, Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Lecture Series.

Location: Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium, Akron Art Museum Admission: This program is free and open to the public.

Thanks to the Friends of Photography of the Cleveland Museum of Art for making me aware of this event. Additional information about Martin Parr and the Bidwell's support of the Lecture series was referenced in Brewed Fresh Daily.

Feb. 29th: Artist's Reception for "Let All God's People Say Amen"

I thought this exhibit might be of interest to the readers of this blog.

Let All God's People Say Amen is a community photography project created by photographer Helen Liggett in collaboration with Morning Star Baptist Church, Cleveland. Liggett was welcomed by the church as an observer over a period of five years. This show presents the worship experience of Morning Star as a whole, showing images of the many activities that bring members of the church together. The show is also a testimony to the welcome and warm affection offered by Pastor Earl Preston and the members of Morning Star.

When:
Artists Reception: Friday, October 29th 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Exhibit: February 15 - April 5

Where:
Heights Arts Studio
2340 Lee Road across the bridge from the Heights Library through April 5
Studio hours: Sunday-Wednesday 1-5, closed Thurs-Saturday
216.371.3457

About the Photographer:
Helen Liggett is professor of urban studies at Cleveland State University. She is coeditor (with David C. Perry) of Spatial Practices: Critical Explorations in Social/Spatial Theory (1995). She authored Urban Encounters in 2003.

Learn to take better portraits with Jack Ulman

Wedding photographer Jack Ulman will share the techniques of
portrait photography that he has developed from taking 40 years of
wedding photographs at the February meeting of the Digital Photography Special Interest Group. He will do a demonstration of portrait photography and share photographs from his extensive portfolio.

Jack has attended a number of our meetings in the past and is a good
example of the wealth of experience that exists in our Digital Photo
SIG group. Jack is a member of the Cleveland Photographic Society and
is responsible for telling me about the group and encouraging me to join.

WHEN: Thursday, February 21st at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cuyahoga County Library, Maple Heights Branch
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Map: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branch.aspx?id=616