sudeek playground

Diffused (Soft) Black and White Effect

This tutorial is to help you learn how to make a diffused black and white photo effect. Ok, once you have your photo open in photoshop:

1. Convert the photo to black and white using a new Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer. If you need more help with this step please refer to our tutorial on Converting Photos to Black and White.

2. Then (with the background layer selected) select Diffuse Glow from the Filters menu under the Distort submenu. (Filter>Distort>Diffuse Glow).

3. In the Diffuse Glow menu, adjust the Graniness, Glow Amount, and Clear Amount to somewhere around 5, 5, and 10. This may vary some depending on the picture.

Windows 7 Gold Power Tool Ultimate v2.3

Just Run As Administrator and you can do just in '1-Click' :

* Install 22 Themes (5 Regional + 15 Betas + 2 Xlus!ve)

* Change WMP12 Library Background Image (Upto 6 Different Backgrounds)

* Patch UxTheme

* Install Cupak ( 8 Multicolor Cursor Schemes)

* Activate Windows 7

* More Ease of Access Tweaks

* Minor updates to other tools and patchers.

DOWNLOAD:

http://uploading.com/files/Z8OC3BTF/Power_Tool_Ultimate_v2.3.rar.html

Basic Digital Photography: Taking Action Shots

Personal photography has gone through a sort of mini evolution in the past 20 years as digital cameras have become popular. With the ability to take huge numbers of pictures, save them on computer, and share them over the internet, the cost of film and developing are no longer limiting factors. Although group photographs, portraits, celebrations, and vacations are still common images, personal photography now captures more impromptu and daily types of events. Photographs of fast moving action are more common as well as people are able to experiment to obtain the type of images they want without fear of "ruining" a shot that requires more skill to take. Capturing action can be challenging for a beginning photographer and requires quite a bit of practice to master. The following outlines a few pointers that can get the novice started off on the right foot.

1. When trying to obtain shots of action, the photographer can use one of two approaches:

* Follow subjects with the camera as they wait for action to happen.

* Focus the camera on a particular spot where action is anticipated and wait for it to happen. An example would be focusing on the basketball goal or 1st base. When using this method it is often best to observe through the Optical Viewfinder and keep both eyes open so that it is easy to anticipate shots as action approaches.

2. Reduce lag time and latency:

* Shutter lag is the delay between the time the shutter button is pressed and the time when the camera actually takes the picture. During this lag time the camera is setting the exposure and focus. Shutter lag is particularly problematic when trying to capture action shots. One way of decreasing shutter lag is to press the shutter button halfway down, hold it, and then press the button down completely when ready to take the shot. This process allows the camera to perform some of the focusing function prior to taking the shot thereby reducing the shutter lag time.

* Latency is the time it takes the digital camera to write/store images before the next shot can be taken. To reduce latency, a photographer should use flash cards with fast write times. In some instances, a lower resolution setting can be used for the shot so that the camera has less information to process and store, but this technique of reducing latency must be used carefully as image quality can be compromised.

3. Follow the action; this is known as "panning". Panning involves tracking the motion of the subject horizontally to capture the movement as it goes side to side. As the photographer moves in the same direction as the motion, a slower shutter speed is often used to allow the subject to be focused and the background to blur demonstrating the action that is occurring. Panning is not necessary for all action shots but is one method of demonstrating the movement while keeping the subject in focus. The process of panning involves the following:

* Tracking is initiated prior to taking the shot.

* The shot is taken by squeezing the shutter button to avoid any downward movement of the camera.

* Tracking of the movement continues for 1-2 seconds after the shot is taken.

4. Use Burst Mode when wanting to capture a series of movements. Many digital cameras offer a Burst Mode which allows the user to capture a sequence of shots. The camera tends to set the focus and exposure on the first shot and then take remaining shots with these same settings. This allows the camera to take the shots in a more rapid sequence.

5. Action shots can be taken from any angle. However, staying parallel to the action generally produces the best demonstration of movement and allows the photographer to pan if desired.

6. Shutter speed reminder. A faster shutter speed generally freezes action to help eliminate blurring, however a somewhat slower shutter speed can better demonstrate movement by allowing some blurring of the arms, legs, and feet as the subject moves. The type of shot desired is what dictates the appropriate shutter speed to use.

7. Practice, practice, practice. Beginners can anticipate their action shots will not meet their expectations initially. Practice is necessary and will require many shots to be taken. However, with the ability to delete images on digital cameras, practice is only an investment in time.

Photography Exposure Basics

Exposure is the amount of light collected by the sensor in your camera during a single picture. If the shot is exposed too long the photograph will be washed out. If the shot is exposed too short the photograph will appear too dark. Almost all cameras today have light meters which measure the light in the given shot and set an ideal exposure automatically. Most people depend on the light meter which is fine, but if you know how to control your exposures you can get some creative and sometimes better pictures. (The photo on the left is with low shutter speed and narrow aperture (high f/stop).

The two primary controls your camera uses for exposure are shutter speed (the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light) and aperture (the size of the lens opening that lets light into the camera). Shutter speeds are measured in seconds and more commonly fractions of a second. (1/2000 of a second is very fast and 8' seconds is extremely slow). Apertures are measured in something called f/stops (a very wide aperture is f/2.8 and a very small aperture is f/19).

You might wonder why there is not just a constant shutter speed or a constant aperture so that you would only have to worry about one control. The reason is that even though they both control the amount of light getting to the sensor they also control other aspects of the picture. Shutter speed for example can be used to freeze subjects in midair with a fast speed or it can be used to blur water with a slow speed. Aperture controls the depth-of-field which is what is in focus in the picture. Aperture can be used to draw attention to one subject (like the flower on the right) by blurring the background with a wide aperture (low f/stop). Aperture can also be used to focus everything in a picture with a narrow aperture (high f/stop). (The photo on the left is with Wide aperture (low f/stop) and corresponding shutter speed).

On most digital SLR's (Single Lens Reflex) cameras today you can even change the sensitivity of the sensor when collecting light which is called the ISO speed. The common span of ISO speed is 100 to 800. The higher the ISO speed the faster the camera collects light but it also adds more noise to the photograph than the lower speeds. For example if your trying to take pictures in dim light without a tripod you might want to raise the ISO speed in order to get a picture that's not blurry. Most of the time you should keep it at a lower ISO speed if there is enough light, but it makes a big difference when there isn't.

Low shutter speed and slightly narrow aperture (pretty high f/stop)

The best way to learn how to use shutter speed and aperture is to just keep experimenting with them.

Night Photography

Night photography has an attraction all its own. There's something about scintillating lights from office windows hanging in the dark of the night -- a modern version of the starry skies -- that appeal to us. Whether it's a city skyline, lamp posts on a dark and deserted street, or the front of your house all decked out with holiday lights, the challenge of capturing the mood of a night scene depends on whether your digital camera is capable of night photography and on a couple of simple techniques.

Can My Camera Do Night Photography?

For successful night photography you need a digital camera that allows you to keep the shutter open for a long time, anywhere from 3 to 30 seconds. Check your camera specifications in the User's Manual under Shutter Speed. The shutter speeds available will be given as a range, e.g. 30 sec. - 1/2,000 sec.

If you are seriously into night photography, then you would want to ensure you purchase a digital camera that allows the longest shutter speed possible, and even Bulb (where the shutter remains open as long as you depress the shutter release button).

But before you plunk down your money for that digital camera, there's two more features to verify -- and one accessory to purchase, if you don't have it already.

Shooting Modes

For an image to be captured by a digital camera's image sensor, the latter requires exposure to light. But at night, light is what we don't have enough of.

Some of you may have noticed that, if you select a shooting mode of Auto (A) or Program Auto (P), your night pictures always come out too dark. They are simply underexposed. But, why is that -- if your camera's shutter speed ranges from, say 10 sec. to 1/2,000 sec.?

Go back to your camera's User's Manual and look a bit more carefully. Are all the shutter speeds available in Auto or P mode? Ah-ha, many digital cameras (we're talking consumer models here) do not make the whole shutter speed range available in A and P mode! Perhaps the slowest shutter speed available in A and P mode is only as slow as 1/3 sec. That's usually not long enough for night photography. To access the longer shutter speeds, you may need to select one of the other shooting modes, e.g. Shutter-Priority, or even switch to full Manual mode.

So ensure that your digital camera has full Manual mode and allows access to the full range of slow shutter speeds in that mode.

Self-Timer & Remote Controller

Another feature that you want your digital camera to have is a self-timer or, ideally, a remote controller. The purpose is to allow you to depress the shutter release button without introducing camera shake. I particularly like the remote controller, but not every camera comes with one or even has one available optionally.

But almost all, if not all, cameras has a self-timer. Usually the self-timer counts down from 10 sec. I find that a bit long to wait, especially since you would need to take more than one shot and it's minus 10 with the wind chill outside. The cameras that additionally provide a 2 sec. self-timer have my nod of approval here.

Tripod

A mandatory accessory that you need is a sturdy tripod. When you let the shutter stay open for a long time, the camera needs to be kept rock steady, otherwise you end up with blurred images.

Examples

OK, so we have our digital camera and tripod, and are ready to venture forth into the night in search for interesting night shots. When we find one, we set up camera and tripod, frame and... what do we do now?

Well, the images below show what happens when you take the same shot using P mode, then in Manual mode with various different shutter speed/aperture combinations, all in search of the correct exposure. The camera was on a tripod for all three shots.

Programmed Auto Mode - Underexposed

Fujifilm FinePix E550
7.2mm, Programmed Auto, Pattern
Shutter Speed 1/4 sec., Aperture F2.8, ISO 80

In the above example, the camera uses the slowest shutter speed and largest aperture available in P mode and at the widest focal length. The picture is underexposed.

Manual Mode - Overexposed

Fujifilm FinePix E550
7.2mm, Manual, Pattern
Shutter Speed 3 sec., Aperture F2.8, ISO 80

Switching to Manual mode allows me to access the slowest shutter speed available on this camera, 3 sec. while keeping the aperture at F2.8 (the largest aperture available). The effect is immediately better, but it does seem a bit too bright, giving almost a daylight effect. If this is the effect you're after, then you're done. But if you wanted to capture the night mood, read on.

Now it is just a matter of adjusting the shutter speed and/or aperture to obtain the desired exposure. I choose to close down the aperture so as to increase the depth of field also.

Manual Mode - Correct Exposure

Fujifilm FinePix E550
7.2mm, Manual, Pattern
Shutter Speed 3 sec., Aperture F4.0, ISO 80

Closing down the aperture to F4.0, a more pleasant image is obtained with enough dark areas to indicate it is night time (dusk, really) and enough lighted areas to reproduce what my eyes saw at the outdoors skating rink at the Mississauga Civic Center.

ISO

For the three pictures above, I used ISO 80, the lowest ISO available for best image quality. But what if at 3 sec. and F2.8 (i.e. at max. exposure possible for this particular camera), the image still came out too dark? In this case, I would need to increase the sensitivity of the image sensor to a higher ISO. Do note that increasing the ISO also increases the amount of noise visible in your images.

Technique

Take a number of shots at different shutter speed/aperture combinations.

Immediately review the shot as soon as you've taken it.

Ensure your LCD brightness is set to Normal, not Bright, for a truer representation of your recorded image.

A good aperture to start with is F4.0 or F5.6 (for greatest depth of field), and adjust shutter speed up or down until you're satisfied with the shot.

For good measure, take an extra shot past your optimum exposure setting. For example, if you were progressively using longer shutter speeds, and you think you've find the correct one, take an extra shot with the next longer shutter speed. Conversely, if you were using progressively faster shutter speeds, take an extra shot using the next faster shutter speed.

We hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Windows XP Professional SP3 Ultra Edition 2009

Adobe Flash Player 10.0.12.36 ActiveX Control (SO YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO YOUTUBE AND PLAY VIDS THERE!
Code65536 FontReg 2.1.1
Microsoft European Union Expansion Font Update 1.2
Microsoft Qfecheck 6.2.29.0
Microsoft Update 7.2.6001.788
MSXML 4.0 SP2 (Includes KB954430 Hotfix)
Last Aspi CODECS (V4.71.2) integrated
Copy To/Move To Context Menu Shell Extension
HashTab 2.1.1
Microsoft Calculator Plus 1.0 (Replaces calc.exe)
Microsoft HighMAT CD Writing Wizard (KB831240)
Microsoft Makecab 6.0.6001.22192 (From Windows Installer 4.5 SDK, doesn't mess up file dates)
Microsoft OpenType Font Properties Extension 2.30
Microsoft Power Calculator PowerToy 1.0
ModifyPE 0.81
Microsoft TweakUI PowerToy 2.10
Unlocker 1.8.7 (so you can chose to unlock and delete protected files if you wish, with right click)
UPX 3.03

Winrar v3.80 Pro integrated in windows kit
All 12 ROYAL windows themes integrated into windows kit (the default is still left for the blue XP theme)

Miscellaneous Tweaks integrated

KB873374 - Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool Registry Entry
KB890830 - Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 2.5
Windows XP SP3 WBEM Fix

DRIVERS INTEGRATED:

Nvidia Chipset drivers
SMU - version Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:34:52 AM
SMBus - version Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:05:47 AM
SATA IDE - version Tuesday, September 09, 2008 10:24:45 PM
nVIDIA ethernet (lan) drivers
Nvidia video driver - version 71.89 WHQL signed (sorry Nvidia makes new video drivers not supporting old ones, I choosed a middle one,
anyway is better than default windows ones)

(ATI,REALTEK) HDMI Audio (for new ATI Video Cards) - Version 11/12/2008, 5.10.0.5735

Within the iso image, there is a folder called ESSENTIALS, (right click on CD and explore...to access it) containing useful soft you might be considering install after xp finishes...

This XP does not have IE7, WM11, WGA , choose to update yourself if you so desire..

All strange behaviours Micro left hazarduous, were eradicated , I mean virus like behaviours which do not ask permision to run, and by running of their free will make computer run slugish
such as: logging of most used files, serchind madly for lan and lan printers, defragmenting when windows thinks the comp is idle, all default delays were cutted
mercyless, keeping a duplicate of files, stupid warning that you do not have firewall or antivirus on, (Security Center carefully cleaned from the windows), ip connections made in the same time is set to 16.777.000 smile.gif)) the Windows is very well designed so as Micro did not do it, you put your good antivirus and firewall and run faster as never before
Windows shuts down in 4 seconds, has disabled by default (can be reenabled)
automatic updates , system restore, remote and desktop connection, it is very well tuned, TRY FOR YOURSELF AND SEE.
PLEASE ENTER THE "ESSENTIALS" FOLDER AND UPDATE DIRECTx AND Microsoft Visual C++ ...ALSO MIGHT CONSIDER WHAT ELSE YOU MIGHT NEED INSTALLING FROM THERE, YOU HAVE ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED THERE FOR A SAFE AND CLEAN PC
Windows it closes now in about 4 seconds
NO NEED FOR ACTIVATION OR ENTERING ANY SERIAL, SETTINGS ABOUT NETWORKS, COMPUTER NAME..SO ON ARE LEFT OPEN, THERE IS A DEFAULT OPTION BUT LEFT OPENED FOR YOU TO CHANGE IT AS YOU WISH WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THOSE SETTINGS.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/178769074/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178776756/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178784534/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178791881/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178799692/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178808060/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/178815009/WINDOWSXpSP32009ULTRAEDITION.part7.rar

Password          www.sendown.com

Activate Windows 7 beta 1 with Windows 7 beta Genuine Activation PlusPatcher V5

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TRCXTX0E

MIRROR:

http://www.uploadground.com/files/SXVF3330/Windows_7_omarpluto.info.rar
http://www.mediafire.co/?sharekey=8bc5568c06d54345e7c82ed4b8f0c380e04e75f6e8ebb871
http://qooy.com/files/1R2A7CVZ/Windows_7_omarpluto.info.rar