Doug Hilton's Blog

NEF processing in GIMP

As said before, I got my D2Hs. I now need a way to process the NEF files in my image editor of choice, GIMP. I run Linux, so Photoshop is not an option. A quick search of google turned up this option. I have not tried it yet, but am posting a link for all those interested. I'll probably get a chance to try it some time this weekend and post my findings.

The link to the actual software is here.

D2Hs

Last night, my brand new Nikon D2Hs arrived. I didn't get much time to play with it, and definately did not put it through it's paces, but I can honestly say I am in love. I took some time to go through all of the menus and set it up for my personal usage, although I was confused and intimidated by all of the Auto Focus options. Today I found an EXCELLENT article on nikonians.org that lays out each of the many options in great detail, and even provides use cases for why you would use each. The article is very well written, and I would recommend anyone that has a D2Hs or D2X read it.

I know I promised pictures shot with this thing of beauty, but I have only had a few hours to play with it, and most of that was spent setting it up and understanding the different options. Photos to come.

Ways to reduce dependency on oil

There has been a lot of talk recently about the need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, especially with the recent "revelations" that purchasing petroleum based products could be funding radical Islam. President Bush has now called for a reduction in the dependency on our imported oil. While I do not fully agree with simply the need to reduce foreign oil imports and use domestic oil, I do agree that we need to reduce, if not eliminate, our thirst for oil.

I have collected together a number of ways every person can help in this noble quest with a broad range in both effectiveness and ease of accomplishment. Most of these are common sense, but there are some that people don't realize have anything to do with oil consumption.

This list comes from a number of sources, including my past experiences and knowledge, the More Hip than Hippie podcast and their listeners, and other websites throughout the internet. I make no claim of ownership of these ideas, and want merely to share them.

• Purchase either a hybrid or more fuel efficient vehicle. While this is probably one of the most likely ways to put a dent in our oil consumption, it's also probably one of the most expensive. I hear a lot of talk about how hybrids are not an end all and how they are not economicaly feasible, but the goal here is to REDUCE the amount of oil we consume.
• Perform simple tune-ups to your vehicle to ensure you are getting the best gas mileage you possibly can.
  • Make sure your tires are properly inflated.
  • Change your oil and filter on a regular basis, every 3000-5000 miles.
  • Keep your air filter clean. A dirty air filter is robbing your engine of oxygen
  • Drive with the windows up and air conditioner off. Open windows create drag on your vehicle and reduce your gas mileage.
  • Accelerate slowly and drive at a steady pace. Quick accelerations and erratic driving speeds burn more gas.
• Carpool, take mass transit, ride a bike or walk to wherever you are going. A friend and I both work at the same office, and he passes my house on the way to work. We have both determined that we use an average of 2 gallons of gas a day each when we drive to work. This amount is cut in half when we commute.
• Turn back your thermostats, especially if you have oil heat. Set your thermostats to 68 in the winter and 72 in the summer. Also remember to turn your thermostats back an additional 5-10 degrees when you are not home.
• Close off unused rooms and close the vents/turn the heat off in these rooms. There is no need to heat/cool an unused room.
• Reduce the number of plastic bags you take from stores when shopping. If you buy something small, simply refuse a bag. Most stores are more than happy to let you walk out with simply your receipt as they are also paying for the bags. If you need a bag, think about taking your own. Each reusable cotton bag can save hundreds, if not thousands of plastic bags over its lifetime. I have also found some stores will give a 3 cent credit on your total bill for each reusable bag used.
• If you have to use a plastic bag, use the smallest one possible and as few as possible. When you are done with them, either reuse them around the house, or donate them to libraries, farmers markets, family owned shops, etc. They also purchase plastic bags for their use, contributing to the number of bags. Donate them and close the loop a bit.
• Instead of using plastic water bottles, purchase a high quality, reusable stainless steel water bottle and fill it with filtered water. Again, plastic is a petroleum product and each plastic water bottle you use contributes not only to the land fills, but also the oil companies.
• Crayons - yes, crayons. These are made from wax, which is a petroleum product. There is no reason, nor need to keep crayons from your children, but switching to a soy based crayon can reduce the amount of oil consumed each year. There are a handful of manufacturers on the market, simple to find using the internet. Granted, you can't simply walk into your local mega mart or grocery store and find these, yet, but they are readily available online, and in instances I have found, they are cheaper than the name brand was based crayon.
• Childrens toys. Opt to purchase wooden versions of toys instead of their plastic counter parts. Blocks, puzzles, even toys such as train sets are available in wood.
• Purchase locally grown, in season produce. If your local super market does not carry local, ask them. Better yet, shop at your local farmers market. Not only will you be supporting the local economy and getting fresher foods, but you will be helping to conserve oil. Produce grown across the country or overseas has to get to your store somehow. This is usually by a combination of truck and airplane. The both use large quantities of fuel both poluting the air and contributing to the dependency on oil. Shorten the distance from field to table as much as possible.
• Purchase products that come in glass containers instead of those that come in plastic containers. There has been a large switch from glass containers to plastic ones over the past several years, in part due to costs, and in part dues to safety. There are still some companies that use glass to package their food products, and given the choice, glass is the better way to go.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to post them in the comments. Most of these are things that everyone can do with little effort. It's simply a matter of modifying our behaviors. If we all did our small part, we could help to alleviate the need for broad sweeping legislation that can only harm us in the long run.

Nikon D2Hs

I had been looking at either a used D2H or a new D200 for the past few weeks, but have now decided to bite the bullet and get a new D2Hs instead. The idea of a used D2H really scared me, even though I will be buying from a reputable dealer. It would only have come with a 90 day warranty. The new D2Hs comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty and I can purchase an additional 3 years for less than $150. Well worth it in my opinion. The D2Hs also has many improvements in the metering system and improvements in the noise levels at higher ISO settings.

I had been tossing back and forth between the D200 with 5fps and 10MP and the D2H(s) with 8fps and 4MP. The lower resolution of the D2H(s) had me a bit worried, but after asking a number of professional photographers, this won't necessarily be an issue. I can easily get a 13x9 out of the D2H(s) that looks great and as much as I would love it, I just don't see myself building up a sizable portfolio that I could sell to a stock agency etc within the next few years. I am currently a sports shooter, and that is who this camera is designed for. I just need to take the time and get out there and shoot. If I capture something that someone wants to buy, I will have that option, but I won't have to shell out the $5,000 for the D2X.

I'm going to get the D2Hs as soon as the finances work themselves out. Look for me to post the first pictures from this camera within the next month.

Photography links and associations

With my recently renewed passion into photography, I have been doing some poking around the net looking for more repositories of information and societies/etc that I can join to help me in my ultimate quest to become a better nature photographer. The few interesting ones I have found are listed below, mostly for my benefit, but also looking for comments on them.

• Moose Peterson has teamed up with The Picture Perfect School of Photography to teach 3 seperate correspondence courses in wildlife photography from the basics to the business of nature photoraphy. The downfall right now, the price. $395 for each course.


• Nature Photographers Online Magazine. The online magazine is free, but they also offer memberhip in the Nature Photographers Network for $39/year giving various benefits.


• Nikonians - an online community for Nikon shooters with a podcast. I found this while searching for a photography podcast. They are a free society, but also offer a members only section which includes access to classifieds, photo contests, a gallery, and a press pass at the gold and platinum level.


• Outdoor Photographer Magazine. I had in the past subscribed to this magazine, and loved it, but stopped the subscription due to a lack of funds at the time. Their website offers a number of the articles that are in print, but the print magazine is the best way to go.


• Moose Peterson's website. This is still my reference point for equipment reviews and other information about the world of nature photography. I would love to attend one of his DLWS workshops, but that won't happen for a long time yet.