Dropbox

If you keep seeing me mention Dropbox and are wondering just what it is then now's your chance to find out. Dropbox is quite simply one of the most useful bits of free software that the club uses. It makes the job of collecting pictures & files from all of you really easy. Here's a step by step guide on how to get it set up.

• use this link to visit the Dropbox website, download their software and register on the website. If it's been a while since you installed their software then go and download & install it again, they've released a few new versions lately that fix a few bugs.
• Install their software. Go on it doesn't hurt. Once installed you should see a Dropbox folder on your desktop
• Email me to let me know you've installed it. Please make sure you let me know the email address you used to sign up to their website.
• You'll get an email asking you to join a "Shared Folder". The folder will be called something like "Reflex Entries Your Name". Please accept the invite.
• Once you've accepted the invite you should see the shared folder INSIDE of your Dropbox folder (the Dropbox folder is on your desktop if you didn't change it's location when you installed the software)
• That's the hard part done. See I told you it was pretty painless!
• From now on whenever you want to send pictures or files into the club all you need to do is put them inside the SHARED FOLDER.
• When you want to send in pictures just put them inside the shared folder. You can also create more folders inside the shared folder if you need to.
• If your sending in pictures just leave your PC switched on for a few minutes so that it has a chance to upload the files. (If the pictures are sized for our competitions then it will only take a few seconds for them to upload. Larger files will, obviously, take longer to upload)
• That's it. You don't have to worry about Dropbox anymore it should all run smoothly and without you needing to do anything else.
• Another useful thing is that by having Dropbox installed if the club needs to send you a picture or file it will also work that way as well.

About time…

I’ve been a bit lax in updating the Blog the past few weeks and I’m sorry about that although it’s mainly been due to all the behind the scene’s stuff that’s going on with the club at the moment. We’ve got the 13 weeks of Summer course that we’re running. I’m trying out a new way of doing the newsletter which does involve more effort in putting it together, but the end result is so much easier to read and pleasing to the eye. Plus there are one or two other things that I won’t bore you with.

Anyway we’re up to week 5 of our 13 Weeks of Summer course. This week you get to find out all about the mysterious but amazingly simple Histogram. Simple? Yes once it’s explained and you realise that it really is that easy to understand you’ll never be confused by it again. We also get stuck into the various Metering modes and talk about exposure. No put your dirty minds back away it’s not that kind of exposure. If your lucky you’ll get to see us turn a picture of a glass of milk into a picture of orange juice right before your very eyes, with just the click of one button! Yes you guessed it. White Balance rears it’s ugly head and we’ll show you how to tame it once and for all.

You will need to bring your camera’s this week as the practical session returns after its week of rest and recuperation.

Practical Night

Last night was our second practical night of the year. We had demonstrations on editing
using various different pieces of software, Macro Photography, mount board cutting and how
the different apertures affect the depth of field and we also tackled a lot of question's. Although how to add
zombies to a graveyard photo was probably the most original one of the night. It was a great evening
and everyone who attended said they had learned something new. Which was exactly what we
hoped would happen.

The feedback we had was great and we’re already planning the next practical night in February.

Cutting mount board

What's new

Unless someone just poked your eyes out you will notice that over on the left of your screen is a new addition to the Blog. We now have a Facebook page. If you scroll down a little bit more you will also notice that there is a section called "You might like....". What someone has dug your eyes out with a spoon! At least that explains why no one has commented on it yet. Anyway, inside that section you will find links to a whole page dedicated to the various Exhibitions & Salon's around the country, listed in month order. Our very own Dominique compiled it for you all so a big thank you goes out to her for doing such a fantastic job. Also there's a link for "Where to go and What to do!" that page is still being worked on but all the information that is being used was collated by Hanneke. I've been a bit slow to put up the information but I am doing it slowly.

Anyway tonight's the practical night so bring along your camera's, questions, laptops and anything else you want to use or learn about. We're going to try our best to impart as much knowledge as possible to you all. So please do make sure you come along. If you think tonight would be a waste of time for you then come along, help out and share some wisdom with those of us less fortunate one's.