February's Competition Project Discussion

[SVB]

I agree - I am not a big fan of spindle work and therefore have 'enjoyed' having to think about this for this month's comp.

Btw - miles, 22:01 - Stewards!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :twisted: (hammer)

=D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[miles_hot]

I agree - I am not a big fan of spindle work and therefore have 'enjoyed' having to think about this for this month's comp.

Btw - miles, 22:01 - Stewards!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :twisted: (hammer)

=D> =D> =D> =D>

I was begging profusely as I'd got stuff up just in time but s0dding potobucket hadn't taken the clipping I'd done (goodness knows why the pictures on PB showed what I wanted but when they came over they were the originals - dead odd). The amount of swearing going on far surpassed all the stress of attempting to do a highly interrupted cut with a skew whilst using the skew for the first time in anger LOL.

Miles

 

[gus3049]

I agree - I am not a big fan of spindle work and therefore have 'enjoyed' having to think about this for this month's comp.

Btw - miles, 22:01 - Stewards!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :twisted: (hammer)

=D> =D> =D> =D>

I was begging profusely as I'd got stuff up just in time but s0dding potobucket hadn't taken the clipping I'd done (goodness knows why the pictures on PB showed what I wanted but when they came over they were the originals - dead odd). The amount of swearing going on far surpassed all the stress of attempting to do a highly interrupted cut with a skew whilst using the skew for the first time in anger LOL.

Miles

I still don't understand why people don't just upload them straight into the forum. Saves outside links and stay on the server. And its quick, instant even.

 

[miles_hot]

I agree - I am not a big fan of spindle work and therefore have 'enjoyed' having to think about this for this month's comp.

Btw - miles, 22:01 - Stewards!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :twisted: (hammer)

=D> =D> =D> =D>

I was begging profusely as I'd got stuff up just in time but s0dding potobucket hadn't taken the clipping I'd done (goodness knows why the pictures on PB showed what I wanted but when they came over they were the originals - dead odd). The amount of swearing going on far surpassed all the stress of attempting to do a highly interrupted cut with a skew whilst using the skew for the first time in anger LOL.

Miles

I still don't understand why people don't just upload them straight into the forum. Saves outside links and stay on the server. And its quick, instant even.

Habit and I like to have thumbnails in threads which mean that the image loads much quicker for people looking on low bandwidth / mobiles etc rather than waiting for the whole thing to come over. If they're interested they can then chose to look at the whole thing. Granted this is not really relevant to the omp thread where the whole thing is about the images but habit is just that!
I also know how to do the 640x48 thing on PB and haven't worked it out in iPhoto yet.
Miles

 

[gus3049]

Ah,

iPhoto is easy!!

If you select the pic, go 'File' 'Export' choose JPG from 'kind' make sure both sizes are medium, just save to Desktop or wherever you want to keep them (if you do). It always seems to make the biggest dimension 640!!

If you want to be exact you can then open in Photoshop if you have it or, let me check...... yup, do it in Preview - open file, 'Tools' 'adjust size' 'fit into' it offers 640 x 480. Click OK and save and you can load that straight up from the desktop.

I'm surprised that a file that small would slow anyone down, even on dial-up. I know nothing about mobiles!! I'm deaf so don't need to get involved with yet another expensive toy.

I'm on pretty quick broadband and I find it HUGELY annoying waiting for outside links to load before I can see the graphic! I find Photobucket really slow. Each to his own I guess.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I know my turning isn't upto some peoples talent but I still contribute otherwise I would only use my lathe when fabricating things or making dowels. Maybe the odd turning now and again. Seeing what others come up with just inspires me into wanting to take my turning further. The fact others are better don't phase me. I make furniture for a living, there are others thats better at it then me. I make websites and develop software as part of my living, others are better then me. I play games on an xbox but others are better then me etc etc.

 

[DougieH]

I`ve only been turning since Christmas, so have no chance of winning, however, the competition makes me produce a specific item each month, which I think makes the competition a winner, as well as furthering my my turning skills. I loved the candlestick challenge and will be making more of them. After turning my fist candlestick, I had a look at some of the examples others have produced, so I searched the internet for inspiration, and found a pdf file that explained step by step, how to make the one I entered in the competition. The comp doesnt just get me practising, it also makes me look for ideas and different ways of doing things. Cant wait for the anything goes vase. Below is what I was going to enter, but thought I could do better. I hope I did.

Doug

 

[miles_hot]

I`ve only been turning since Christmas, so have no chance of winning, however, the competition makes me produce a specific item each month, which I think makes the competition a winner, as well as furthering my my turning skills. I loved the candlestick challenge and will be making more of them. After turning my fist candlestick, I had a look at some of the examples others have produced, so I searched the internet for inspiration, and found a pdf file that explained step by step, how to make the one I entered in the competition. The comp doesnt just get me practising, it also makes me look for ideas and different ways of doing things. Cant wait for the anything goes vase. Below is what I was going to enter, but thought I could do better. I hope I did.

Doug

Doug
I think it's fair to say that you've improved on that one If that's the rate of improvement over the course of 1 month I can\t wait to see how far you come over the next 10 months
Miles

 

[duncanh]

Not that I'm overly bothered, but I'm wondering how strictly the rules are going to be applied re. image sizing. I've seen it mentioned a few times that they have to be 640x480 - see the top of page 10 of this thread where Blister says

Is it essential to use the pixel size that you have specified, because if so the stick will be quite small in the photo being as it's long and thin.. All 3 of the photos I have ready to post are just under 300kb but long. I can't find the pixel count?

I assume that we post the pikkies tomorrow. i.e. after midnight today?

'ello John,

I asked 'im that!!! And he was very strict with me!!! So mine are tall and thin too but with white borders up both sides and EXACTLY (see Mr Blister) 640 x 480.

If you have photoshop you can copy what you've got, make a new one at the right size and paste it in.

Gordon , Rules is Rules , same for everyone :lol: :lol:

Even Blister's own entry isn't 640x480!

Some people have posted clickable thumbnails - is this ok?

I know it's just for fun, but clarification would be useful. Sorry if this is making you want to pull your hair out or regret running the competition Blister. Perhaps future months could specify longest side length of 640 and no more than 200kb.

Duncan

 

[Blister]

Duncan

I used Photo bucket and on photo buckets web site I resized my images to 640 x 480 but when linked to our UKWorkshop they were a different size ??????? , had to leave them as I needed to go to work :roll:

Next month I will try them direct from my computer upload to UKworkshop and see what happens doing it that way

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Mine are not 640x480 I used an expensive DSLR as im sure a few have. I resized my images in Photoshop CS5 using whats called constrain proportions (you type in a given height or width and it works out the other dimension without stretching or distorting the image) I typed in the height of 640px and it worked out the natural width would be 427px. I override the width to 480 and the image is stretched and looks silly so I used what the software recommended which was 640x427px. I understand rules are rules but maybe this needs addressing. The true professional native resolution for a 35mm digital (or scanned from an old 35mm film camera) photo using DSLR's (or SLR's if film camera) when resizing down to the rules are 640x427px or 720x480px. 640x480px is true for point and shoot cameras. (For them that do not under stand DSLR or point and shoot, If your camera has a detectable lens which you can attach other len's, its more then likely you have a DSLR if not you have a point and shoot.)

I wasn't going to upload images that are stretched nor was i going to add distracting elements like a border so I uploaded as I saw fit by not exceeding the highest dimension in the rules 640px.

Due to the range of cameras we use, maybe it would be better to say that one image dimension should be 640px and the other in the 400's

I haven't checked but I bet my photo's last month was 640x427px.

 

[gus3049]

Duncan

I used Photo bucket and on photo buckets web site I resized my images to 640 x 480 but when linked to our UKWorkshop they were a different size ??????? , had to leave them as I needed to go to work :roll:

Next month I will try them direct from my computer upload to UKworkshop and see what happens doing it that way

Hi Blister,

You have an iMac. I suggest using Preview as described in my post below. It really is a doddle.

However, I agree that just making the long dimension 640 and an overall size limit is more sensible given the various shapes to be photographed otherwise, you just get white borders like I did this month.

 

[The Shark]

Personally speaking, I struggle to find time to do the turning, let alone fanny about resizing images.

I load my photos into photobucket, press the button that says "resize", then upload the thumbnail image to the forum. That's it!

If we are going to go down the route of becoming photo editors, then as someone says on Dragons Den, "I'm out".

I'm very grateful to Blister and all those who have helped set up the comp, I'm learning a great deal and getting a great deal of inspiration about turning, which I thought was the object of the excersise!

Malc (who obviously doesn't know much about photography!)

 

[gus3049]

Hi Shark,

With respect, it literally takes a few seconds, between one sip of wine and the next in fact. I too have a mortgage to pay for and therefore struggle for time, especially now I am half crippled by my back.

I'm sure you understand why Blister set the limits. I think a little extra effort is worth it for the benefit we, or at least, I, get from the competition.

 

[DougieH]

I also load my pics into photobucket and resize them to 640 x 480. They do not end up with borders or are elongated. They just have less pixels, which means you cannot zoom in as much without the pic going blocky. Thats my understanding of the process. I could be wrong though. That pic of my first candlestick is 480 x 360 as far as I can see, as I had to upload to photobucket direct from my phone, by email, as my computer is not working right. The camera may have resized the photo to send by email. I also think 640 x 480 is a guide. The actual photo may not be exactly 307200 pixels. Just my thoughts. The pic below is now resized to 320 x 240, but is actually 319 x 239.

Doug

 

[DougieH]

Mmmmm. I see its a bit smaller than the next size up. Perhaps someone more into pixels and photos can explain why pics are different sizes.

Doug

 

[DougieH]

Sorry me again, just checked the size of the middle photo in my comp entry, and photobucket says it is 639 x 479. I will stop now.

Sorry again

Doug

 

[The Shark]

I'm sure you understand why Blister set the limits. I think a little extra effort is worth it for the benefit we, or at least, I, get from the competition.

Hi Gus,

No worries,

IMHO, I agree entirely that Blister set the limits, as he did, from day 1. I thought that was what I was adhering to by using photobucket as I previously explained.

It seems to me we are moving the goalposts now?

Malc

 

[Wood spoiler]

We all understand rules are rules and they need to be there.

Malc, if what you are doing works for you then stick with it

More important to submit an item trying to stick to the spirit of the rules than being put off by being confused by the techie stuff.

I'd rather everyone submit with imperfections to the photo technique than halve the numbers submitted but exactly correct.

I upload to photo bucket click resize and there we go it works for me.

 

[gus3049]

We all understand rules are rules and they need to be there.

Malc, if what you are doing works for you then stick with it

More important to submit an item trying to stick to the spirit of the rules than being put off by being confused by the techie stuff.

I'd rather everyone submit with imperfections to the photo technique than halve the numbers submitted but exactly correct.

I upload to photo bucket click resize and there we go it works for me.

Spirit of the rules huh?

I'll drink to that ccasion5: