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Do you actually use it? Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Jean-Pierre, thank you again for your very cooperative attitude. I think, both methods are based on the same idea, keeping in mind that it was yours, and that I only tried to imitate it. On the other hand, I would not like it that much to cut an image into 50 ore more stripes and pieces. Kind regards Xaver Munich

Hello bbdigital, I am sorry that my question seemed to be misunderstanding (please keep in mind that I am not a native speaker). By the word "tool" I did not think of the elementary mechanisms (like blending modes, layer masking etc.), but of the products which provide them (PS, PS Elements, Paintshop Pro, Fixfoto ...). I am pretty sure that you use PS, and nothing else (as I do, as well, and you can expect some minimum experience also from my side). So, why do you recommend PS Elements? Kind regards Xaver Munich

Got the same message, twice from "Miss Mercy John" and once from "Miss Anta Ngoya". The PTE user is in all cases the same. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

bbdigital, can you list those tools which are sufficient for preparing the images for "Another Age". Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello John, I think you refer to "Picasa". It is very difficult to recommend a tool for image prcessing; it depends on the needs of the user and on his motivation to spend time for image processing. I started with Paintshop Pro and ended up with Photoshop. Working on a single image takes me about an hour's time, starting with the raw file, making several adjustments (16 bit per color) either in RGB or in Lab mode, applying actions on contrast masking, and several filters (PS, Nik, ...). So I doubt that a free tool like Picasa could satisfy my demands. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, let me say that I like the Beckham-Shows very much, and I wonder about the discussion on screen resolutions. In my photo club, there is nobody with less than 1280x1024. Here is another very simple way to watch these shows under WinXP on big monitors: Configure the taskbar (and office bar) not being always on top. Copy the path to the show into the run window (leave it open) Open a black object with Adobe Reader, IrfanView or ... in full screen mode Use Alt-Tab to bring the run window on top and press ok After watching the show: Reconfigure the taskbar Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Old Timer, I cannot say much on the difference between the 2 programs, as I never used PS Elements, but here is a remark on buying the full version: In Germany you can attend a course on a photographic subject at some adult education centre, and you will obtain some document to buy a student license for PS CS3 at only about twice the price of PS Elements. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Jean-Pierre, thank you very much for your information and the template (provided at a very reasonable price). Here is my test template for a 20% Zoom in a Window: Less sophisticated, but also less laborious. Kind regards Xaver Munich

Hello JPD, I was impressed when I watched your show, in particular by the distortion and animation effects within the yellow window. Distortion isn't that difficult, I found it harder to implement a zoom effect in a situation where it is impossible to mask the zooming image using a transparent part in the the background. I tried to do it myself. The result is something like a layered construction of identical (but differently cropped) copies of the same image inside the window. During zooming each layer is stopped before it reaches the outer boundary of the yellow frame. Is this the way you do it? Just one question. Why didn't you desaturate the yellow hose on the image with the children? Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Ken, Congratulations for being faster! Kind regards Xaver Munich

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns! Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Tissot, I don't think that this suggestion will really help. What do you mean by "switch form color to grey"? The standard greyscale function (convert image to Lab space and desaturate) or any other fixed method will not always give good results. For conversion to B&W, in many cases it is better to use something like the channel mixer or the new B&W function from PS CS3 with individual parameters. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Judy, Thank you for your kind reaction. There is no exiting story behind these images. They were taken in the spring of last year. My wife and I lived in a Hotel near Cala Millor, and we drove about 1000 miles through parts of Mallorca lying more in the east, which is regarded to be less attractive. Nevertheless, we liked it. Antony, Peter Thank you for your remarks. Raising critique in the way you do is by no means unfair, and I am not thin-skinned. The transitions may be a bit too fast, and I would have liked to show the images 1 - 3 seconds longer, each. But the music (Mallorca by Albeniz) did not give me enough time. Thus the result is a kind of compromise. I learned from the reactions in my photo club that the constant zooming has a polarization effect. Some people like it very much others nearly become angry. I am very much interested in reactions on this subject. I agree with the remark on the fisherman, but I wanted to prevent an overlap of the two faces during the transition. Kind regards Xaver

Hello, here is a link to my slide show on Mallorca (~7min): Edit: Temporary download. Recommended resolutions: 1280x1024, 1400x1050, or 1680x1050. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, I think that wideangle got to the heart of the matter. One may find good reasons why TheDom's templates should be allowed to be advertised. It may harder to find arguments when Barry Beckham repeats to offer his CDs, although I like his website and his wonderful shows from which I can learn a lot. PTE users who think of public performances may need amplifiers and loudspeakers. So why not offering equipment of that kind. So my question is: Where is the point to stop? At present time, the situation regarding advertising isn't that bad, but it should not become worse significantly. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, I would like to propose the German user interface to be revised. There are some mistakes which are pretty obvious. Example: "Opacity" (in animation tab) is translated by "Transparenz" (engl. Transparency) which is the opposite of what it should be (Photoshop uses here "Deckkraft"). There are other expressions where you can only read the words, but it seems impossible to understand what they mean. I already made some proposals here. I myself do not use the German interface, but thinking of the generation 60+, it might be better to have a good one. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Ron, See here! The zip-file includes some information about the use of the tool. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, You may build your show without music. Feed an audio player with a playlist, and start the player. Then start the (silent) PTE show. Music and slides will run independently. Is this what you need? Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, here is a rather odd solution under Win XP for changing the volume of Line Out while watching a show: Start the Volume Control and leave the small window open. Start PTE show While show is running, press Alt and Tab, choosing Volume Control Icon: Volume Control Window will appear, show will freeze. Change volume. Problem: you do not hear anything as show has frozen. Use mouse to reactivate your show. Not a very clever solution, but .... Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Mike, Hopefully, the following Link will help you. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Brian, What the developer wrote in an EAC forum leaves room for interpretations. My feeling is that your translation is not quite correct. In my ears it sounds a bit different: The developer seems to be convinced that it will work, but does not give any guarantee that it will really work in all cases. Remark on Autorun: On my machines I deactivated Autorun for all drives via the goup policy editor. Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Brian, I found several indications at download sites, that EAC (Exact Audio Copy) runs under Vista, and this is what Andre Wiethoff, the (German) developer of EAC says: "EAC sollte mit Windows XP und Vista funktionieren." Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello, why don't you use "CDex" or "Exact Audio Copy" for ripping. Under XP, I normally use "Audiograbber". Kind regards Xaver H. Munich

Hello Brian, thank you very much for the Bavarian slideshow, a reminiscence of a nice holiday. Although I have been living in the Munich region for more than 20 years, I must admit that you possibly may know lots of places which I have never seen so far. Maybe this will change once I will be retired. I like a lot of your pictures, most of which were taken under extreme light conditions, and it seems to me that it had been difficult, if not impossible to prevent highlight clipping. The Panasonic DMC-FZ8 seems to be a good camera, and you have a complete equipment in a rather small box. Nevertheless I like my Canon cameras (G6 and 400D/Digital Rebel Xti plus several lenses). I myself prefer shooting raw, and I tend to underexpose my images. It typically takes me about 1 hour or more of photoshopping for 1 picture. Thus, preparing the images for a slideshow having the seize of yours will take weeks or more. Your question for snow in Munich: It is too warm! Cheers, Xaver Huber Munich PS: This is just an Internet identity, but it rather precisely indicates information about my gender and the region where I live. Xaver Huber is a typical Bavarian name, whereas I come from some part of Germany lying more in the north.