Almark

Mary, goosebumps eh! You need to close that window ;-) LumenLux, thank you for your kind comments and interesting info.

Dave, I found my voice, especially my accent to be harsh and very 'Belfast'. Others have said not so, indeed above folk refer to it as soft Irish, but that's not what I hear. I suppose it is because I hear my voice from my head and when it is recorded and played back it sounds so different to me. I am sure this is the case for most people. Folk from Northern Ireland tend to talk very quick and so I deliberastly slowed my speech down. My wife, when she listened to the show, thought I was 'putting on' a posh accent! You can't win!

Dave, John, thank you both for your kind comments.

wow that was quick! Thank you

This forum has been so helpful to me over the last few days I thought I should offer something in return. I am prepared to offer 'action' files to be used in Photoshop to do a number of batch tasks, for example - landscape images: 1 convert to 72 dpi, 2 resize to 1024x768 3 * adjust auto levels 4 * add a small white border 4 apply sharpening at 100%, 0.7, 0 (regarded as a one size fits all - for AV's.) 5 save to med quality * optional To explain more, this what I do. After converting from raw, making adjustments, edits etc, I save all files as max quality jpgs to a folder 'hq_jpgs'. I then move all the landscapes to a folder 'hq_jpg_land' and all the portraits to ' hq_jpg_port'. At this stage they are all 300dpi and huge pixel dimensions. I then use an action in a batch process in Photoshop that will convert them all for AV use. I have one for landscapes and one for portraits. I simply select the folder I want to 'batch' and create a new folder for the output, eg 'av_land_jpgs' or 'av_port_jpgs'. What many folk do not know, is that batch processing can be fully automatic, or can have a pause built in. For example you can bring up levels and then pause it, so that you can check the histogram and make minor adjustments for each image. This is very useful for folk who have not done any, or much, pre processing of their images. You can also do the same for crop, obviously before resizing... So at this stage, this is just an offer. If folk tell me what they want included in a batch process I am more than happy to make the action, post it here, and if need be make a tut on how to make it work. [bTW, anyone who has Photokit plug-ins, did you know that you can include these in a batch process? If you have a setting that you always use, say for example - "Module: Photokit Color 2 / Set: Tone enhance / Midtone Contrast 2" then this can be automatically applied to all images. The one I often use is Photokit Output Sharpener, set for 1024 wide at med sharpening.] So please let me know if you are interested.

I have a registered version of 5.1 [standard], if I want to upgrade to 'Deluxe' do I have to buy the 'Deluxe' version? Or is there a 'Standard' to 'Deluxe' upgrade?

RAW, if its just a free raw converter you are after there are plenty: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&c...earch&meta= Adobe Raw Converter is very good and looks more and more like the 'develop' tab in Lightroom with every update. It works with Photoshop Elements V5 or above and Photoshop CS3. If you are a Nikon user then Capture NX V1.3 is simply outstanding. Unlike Lightroom and Aperture, [which make global changes to the whole image] changes made in Capture NX to your raw file can be applied selectively - by painting on [or off] the changes. You simply look at the area you want to change, apply the changes and then paint on the change to the area you were thinking about, maybe adding more here and there, and at any time going back to erase [paint minus brush] any where were you think you may have overdone it. Such changes include almost everything; levels, saturation, sharpening, etc., etc. http://www.capturenx.com/ However Capture NX doesn't do edits, so if you have a dust spot or want add a border and so on, then you still need Photoshop [or something similar]. I have plenty of info about Capture NX on my amateur photo web site. And if you need to know more - just ask.

Peter and Barry, all suggestions have been taken on board - to the best of my ability. A friend ran my voice over track through his Sony Soundforge, with the noise reduction plug in - and that helped it quite a bit. I have had enough AV's for a while - you know when you are overdoing it when the AV music keeps you awake at night ;-) Again, thanks for you help folks. I'll let you know how it goes down at my local Camera Club and AV Group, if you are interested. Zip updated http://www.almark.net/photos/norway.zip [20MB]

Thanks Peter, I think I will take on much of your advice. Of course it means playing about with it again! Fire and brass bit? I will listen carefully for it and snyc it as best I can. The ending, I wanted the big ending of the music to sync with the sunset pic, I will have a close look at it. Title slide, I deliberately left this blank so that folk would wonder what is all about. I thought the first series of images would carry their interest. Start and end, good idea, i think that would improve things. Again thanks for taking the time to download the updates and testing them for me. Your help is much appreciated.

One last attempt, version 6, almost all of the hiss is gone (I think). I have deleted the earlier attempts. http://www.almark.net/photos/norway.zip Thank you all for your help.

Doh! (No, of course not! Will check this out now.)

I have just discovered that the cooler unit I use beneath my laptop was a major culprit for dreaded hiss. The cooler unit runs 3 small and almost silent fans off USB and keeps the laptop CPU at a steady 46C (instead of a 10 minute loop from 40C to 70C using the default laptop fan). Anyway as it was nearly silent I ignored it. But after reading some comments earlier on this thread I decided to unplug it and see what happened. Clearly although near silent these small fans must be produced EMF's.

Barry, thank you for your feedback, it is great to know that I am on the right line. I set it to run at 1024x768 as this is the size it will be played at my local camera club, my target audience. However I should have considered the audience here, and that was discourteous of me, I apologise for that. (I was also influenced that when I set it to full screen it doesn't play or preview properly on my laptop 1920x1200.) Peter, thanks again for taking the time to download and view. Now that I have cut the narration down it will be much easier to start over. I have also borrowed a different mic and that should improve things. Again, thank you both for your feedback, as a newcomer to PTE (and this forum) I have been most impressed with speed and quality of the constructive criticism.

Peter, I followed your instructions carefully and they made a big difference to the sound. I have also cut out a lot of the narration, now there are just four short pieces with intervals. Updated, thanks for your help

Hi Peter, and thanks for your comprehensive reply. I must check out your tutorial, maybe I should have done this before I started - but you know how it is - I simply got stuck in. I found I had to reduce the gain of the music as far as it would go, and even then had to use the envelop tool to reduce it more at one particular stage. Clearly that was because I didn't apply any gain to the voice. Doh! back to the drawing board as they say. The more narration I cut out the more I think it works without any narration. But I will have another go at it. Thanks again for feedback.

Hi Folks, this basically the same as the other Norway show only this one has some narration. This is the first time I have ever added a narration to a show and I must tell you that I found it much harder than I had anticipated. Over 6 hours to create 6 minutes! My first script lasted 12 minutes so I had to cut it in half. Then I had to learn how to use Audacity, but getting the timings just right with PTE I found really difficult. I am not sure if I like the result, maybe I am just sick hearing my own voice, but I am not sure the narration adds much to the pics with just the music. All comments, feedback, ideas and suggestions are most welcome. Updated, thanks to your help almost all of the hiss is gone: http://www.almark.net/photos/norway.zip [20 mb]

1024x768 is 4:3 [ratio] 1440X1050 is 4:3 [ratio] You should set the res for your audience when you make your PTE show. If you intend it to be played on a 1024x768 projector - the set PTE to show 1024x768 If you intend it to be played on a 1440x1050 projector - the set PTE to show 1440x1050 However, if you do know that the viewer wlil be using a 1024x768 or a 1440x1050 projector then it doesn't really matter. The 4:3 is the same and it will be scaled up or down. However, if you do not know what res the viewer may use then it may produce problems. Many users now view in HD, at least 1920x1080, and a show that is not set for full screen will not display properly at this res. see here for examples http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7949

These screen shots were of the first version, the new version works perfectly.

show and zip updated to reflect feedback. Thank you, I think it looks much better. http://www.markallenphotography.co.uk/mark...ies/norway3.zip

Hi Dave, If I had parents in their 90's I would exactly the same. PTE must be a great way to share so much with your parents. For me the music starts as soon as the first page appears on screen. I am beginning to think this might be a Vista problem, as the music also starts almost with a pop. However, othe shows start the first page and after a second delay the music fades in perfectly. I was thinking of Playbill or some other Western Style font. re the two shoes, I thought it was a staged shot. My apologies Dave, there was no intention to insult your integrity. Thanks for your feedback on my feedback. I certainly seem to take the same approach as you, take all feedback into careful consideration and learn from it.

Barry, first of all, sorry I got my resolutions mixed up, the screen res was not 1920x1400 - it is 1920x1200 (which allows for full HD at 1920x1080) At 1920x1200 it would play but the viewing picture size would change from image to image, some were Ok but if any included pan/zoom then it appeared badly out. Here are a few screenshots taken at 1920x1200, numbers 2 and 3 show mid transition and the overlap (that cannot be seen at 1280x1024). http://www.almark.net/photos/enigma.jpg http://www.almark.net/photos/enigma1.jpg http://www.almark.net/photos/enigma2.jpg Let me know if there is anything else I can do. On an aside, at a recent AV Group meet there was much discussion about 1400x1050 for a both future Av's and perhaps a new digital projection category for competitions (PAGB).

I have given PTE and V5.1 a plug at my web site at http://www.almark.net/photos/markallenphot...turestoexe.html I assume this is OK? All links come back here.

Your mirror as well! At least you can rebuild it, even if it does take you a few days. Is there a bright side? Will the re-install maybe speed things up a bit? best of luck withthe rebuild.

Hi Bill, I am sure you had a great time. We are known for our hospitality. I didn't mean 'diddle-e-dee' in any derogatory sense, it's just what we call it (for a laugh) - as you know we do like to make fun of ourselves. Your show would sound great with some of Matt Molloy's flute music. http://www.last.fm/music/Matt+Molloy He also has a pub in Sligo where, not only can you hear some real traditional Irish music but, you can sometimes be lucky to hear the man himself on flute!

Hi Lin, I really enjoyed this one. The sound was most appropriate and made me think I was right there watching the hawks and wildlife. The first zoom in was the most impressive to me. The detail in the feathering and the hawks head was simply superb, as the show slowly zooms in I kept noticing more and more in the detail of the hawk. [indeed on a second run through, I was convinced I saw things I missed on the first run.] At that time I said to myself "that would work the other way too". And you then duly complied. Depending on how much time you have on your hands, you might want to consider flipping the second image / fading in the head - so they are head to head/ then zooming out. On the 3rd image I think you go too far in the extreme zoom. Details starts to get lost about half way up the wing and by the time you get in close to the head its looks a bit like pastel art. (Of course maybe that was your intention). The mansion I found out of place, or simply didn't understand its relevance to the rest of the show. Maybe I am missing something obvious here. I liked the moon image and I would have been tempted to have a slower transition fade into the next image, I think mid fade would create a good 3rd image from the two. I found the fade to white and sudden end, unusual. I suppose I am used to fade to black and 'thank you for watching' or something. A most impressive show that ran well on 1920x1200 laptop. I look forward to viewing more of your work, and I hope you accept my feedback as just my humble opinion.