Edmonton Photographic Historical Society

     The Beginners Guide to Adobe Photoshop was written by Michelle Perkins for Amherst Media. It was published in 2002. It sold for $29.95 in the USA and $44.95 in Canada.      It is an extremely simple and clear book that takes the reader step-by-step through many of the features of Photoshop a photographer would have an interest in.        For those who ask, “Who else uses Photoshop?” I would like to point out Photoshop has grown in features and power to interest everyone in visual arts, from illustrators and designers to visual artists who create works using the power of layers and effects that Photoshop has evolved since its creation.      But back to this book. It takes the reader through Photoshop 6.0 using chapters, beginning with The basics to Chapter 13 Other Useful Goodies . If needed each chapter page has a boxed set of Important terms. This is followed by a Photoshop feature (example “Liquify”). Then a heade...

  I recently acquired two point-and-shoot cameras, both of which used Lithium 223 batteries. In the course of trying to take their images I went to my battery stash. I have many batteries lying around, both from removing them from cameras before I stored them and from the occasions I lucked upon battery sales.      Getting a battery from the collection is a multiple step process. I store batteries in several places for starters. Then there is the step of getting out the battery tester. Simple cells like AAA and AA batteries I use a LED tester that has red, yellow and green lights. Button and Lithium batteries I use a voltmeter.      I found the batteries that had been in the cameras were down to 0.224 Volts, so clearly they were bound for recycling. I tested some of the 223 batteries I had in the pile of batteries and found two that indicated over 6 Volts. I have found if a lithium battery is under 6 Volts it won’t power up many cameras. I keep the und...

       When is too many, too many? I had a choice between a Pentax MV and a Nikon EM body. When I asked what was wrong with them I was told both had intermittent connection problems with the choice of shutter speeds. Both cameras have three settings possible for the shutter/exposure control. Two manual exposure speeds (Bulb and highest sync speed) and “Auto”.      Having to make a quick decision, I went with the Nikon EM.      It may be just me, but I take chances with intermittent camera operation. It isn’t that I always get them to work, but I enjoy getting them to work if I can.      I already have four Nikon EM cameras, and two Pentax MV cameras, some with normal lenses and some without. But usually the EM’s are black bodied and the MV’z are chrome finish and I am drawn to black cameras.      I’d like to tell you I found some clever technique that fixes all intermittent Nikon EMs, or even a clever trick ...

I just bought another tripod. When you find a name brand tripod—complete with aftermarket hex quick release plate—for $11 tax included, how can anyone refuse?      This is a Manfrotto set of #055 legs with a #029 head . Bogen distributed Manfrotto in the United States. This tripod was known as the Bogen 3020. This combination of head and legs was sold in slightly improved editions from 1985 to 1995.   This tripod is a dazzling feat of engineering for several reasons— the leg locks are levers that only require ¼ turn to lock/loosen the column lock lever also only requires a ¼ rotation the leg hubs lock at two angles the column is in two parts the head has three different length handles the aforementioned column lock can be taken off and has a hex-head key that allows you to take the tripod apart           It is a big tripod being 83 cm (32¾) inches long folded. It weighs 4.3 k (9.5 lb.) It’s center column is 44 cm (17¼ in.). Fully extende...