By David Gewirtz
Ah, reader mail. We just love reader mail. Some days, we're told we're living gods. On other days, we're told to do better. No matter what, opening the Connected Photographer mailbag each day is an adventure. In the spirit of the week between Christmas and New Years, with all of you opening brand-spankin' new cameras, we present another installment of our fabulous Letters to the Editor series.
Mel Lammers thinks we're lame
Mel Lammers, reading our coverage on bit depth, comments:
In Connected Photographer, the questioner stated he had a cheaper Kodak digital.. "No idea what my camera has as native depth -- cheaper Kodak which converts to JPEG internally -- but I think I only see 8 bits in the output files."
Moving forward in to other bit discussions and then recommending to this person that he shoot in RAW with no explanation of what RAW is and why he will need a MUCH more expensive camera, was a disservice to the letter writer. John Byers article on Bit Depth was good, but probably left the original letter questioner saying...what ????
Do better, we are reading.
Mel, baby, I love ya, but you're not reading enough. If you're not sure about a topic, you can always take a look in our back issues, at http://www.connectedphotographer.com/backissues/backissues.html. We've also published John Roling's fabulous Photography Basics article, "A RAW deal: Using the RAW image format". You can read it at http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200505/00001529001.html.
That said, we strive to do better each and every month. Stay tuned, I'm sure you'll find more exciting articles in 2006!
A sure cure for those WMD blues
Sometimes, we're just amazed who reads the magazine. Gary Niki, Senior Associate, Safety & Security, WMD/Terrorism Program at the American Red Cross National Headquarters Disaster Services writes:
A lot of times I just read your e-magazine and appreciate getting it, today I wanted to tell you 'THANK YOU VERY MUCH!' for the article "Great eBay photos with a $0.69 budget backdrop".
I really enjoyed it and appreciated the way you showed your expertise and skill by 'Showing us' how what may have appeared complicated and taken a lot of time to set up was done very simply by a true professional!... I love it!... Best wishes and keep them coming!... Thank you very much!...
Gary, you're more than welcome. You guys have the really tough job. We're just here, trying to help people learn a little bit more each week.
In good company
Reader Richard Schwarz sent us a comment that really makes me blush:
I found the article to be the clearest explanation of pixels in cameras that I have seen (I rarely see anything I understand better than Mossberg [of the Wall Street Journal]). I even forwarded the article to my children. I want to know more, advantages/disadvantages of high megapixels in real life action pictures etc. Keep up the good work -- I will certainly read it.
Richard, we'll be continuing our coverage of photography basics throughout the next year. Most photo magazines focus on the two or three months before you buy your camera (because that's what advertisers are most interested in). Our goal is to focus on the rest of your life with a camera and with photography. We'll be covering some complex topics, but we'll always remember that connecting with photography isn't about the technology, it's about the people.
Buying cameras with confidence
Cole Shiflett writes:
I appreciated the article on digital cameras. I'm a programmer, finishing up an IT degree, and am the de facto geek of my family...yet I rarely venture into the realm of consumer electronic gadgetry. I'm constant asked why I have such antiques for a camera and camcorder (both are about 15 years old).
I have actually wanted to upgrade to a digital camera, but haven't had the time nor patience to deal with the canned info I get from the teenage salespeople at Best Buy or Circuit City. Your article helped me a great deal and I feel like I can move forward with more confidence. I look forward to the next installment of tips.
Thanks, Cole. It's readers like you that make this job worthwhile. Some days, when it's time to sit down and write, I wind up asking, "Why am I doing this?" You're why. You and Richard and Gary and, yes, even Mel. Those of you who read the magazines make it all worthwhile.
You know, at the end of a year and the beginning of a new year, it's good to sit down and remember what we're grateful for. For ZATZ, this is especially true, since our first issue published on January 1, 1998. So, at the beginning of every new year, I like to remember that one of the things I love about my job is that we've managed to provide enormous information to people, worldwide.
We have hundreds of thousands of readers in hundreds of countries. Since 1998, across all the magazines, we've published 1,953 articles, including 112 in Connected Photographer alone. All of those articles, as well as the more than 20,000 news items we've published, are all available online, all for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to anyone in the world seeking a little more knowledge and a little help.
I am so very grateful that our readers have supported this effort to bring free teaching to a world audience, to our advertisers for funding the infrastructure necessary, for all the companies in this industry who innovate every day, and to a world where there is an Internet and where this sort of knowledge sharing is possible.
Have a great 2006, be safe, and connect!