// July 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Libraries, Photography, Web Stuff, librarians
Libraries and librarians can make use of Creative Commons licensed works but must be careful to adhere to the terms of the licenses. Finding photos that have been licensed CC is the easy part: CC search is a part of flickr, Compfight and even Google Images search.
Read more at the TechSource blog.
// June 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Libraries, Photography
In sitting down to write Part 5 of this series, “Turning Images into Objects,” I realized I’d gotten ahead of myself. If you’ve beenkeeping up with this series, you’ll know that we’ve covered photography basics, what the modes on your camera mean, and ideas for using your camera creatively in the library. Before we can think about prints, greeting cards, business cards, stickers and other interesting and practical things that you can make from photos, you have to get them off the camera and onto the web. Simple, right? Well…. It can be, if you plan ahead a bit. Here are some tips that may help. Read More…
I use Flickr all the time personally, and my library has two accounts, a general library account and a University Archives account. Flickr has been around for a few years now, and librarians all over the world use it to share images from their personal and professional lives. Flickr is more than a great place to post and share photos with your community; it’s a community in itself, and a starting place for all sorts of activities. Read More…
// April 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Libraries, Photography
Cross-posted at ALA TechSource blog as Take Pictures, Tell Stories Part Three.
Modern digital cameras, whether small hand-held models or digital SLRs, often have more modes and options than the average picture-taker needs, but knowing a bit about how modes work can improve photos.
As explained in the previous post, three measurements work together to ensure a properly-exposed photo: ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Most cameras have various modes that enable photographers to give weight to either shutter speed or aperture, while allowing the camera to dictate the other measurements. If you aren’t yet comfortable experimenting with aperture or shutter speed, you can try using some of the automatic modes. Ever wonder what those little icons on the settings dial mean?
Below is an explanation of typical camera modes:
Using portrait mode when taking photos of only one or two people, but switching to Auto or Landscape mode when shooting an entire room full of people may result in a better end product. The biggest secret in digital photography? Take as many photos as is required to get the shot that you like best.
Partially-automatic modes offer some control for the photographer. With aperture priority, the photographer sets the desired aperture, and the camera sets the shutter speed needed for a good exposure. Speed Priority or Time Value mode lets the photographer set the desired shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture needed for a good exposure. Many digital cameras also have a fully-manual mode, but for point-and-shoot cameras, what “fully manual” means can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Typically, the camera’s built-in light meter will provide visual feedback as to whether the dialed-in setting will result in a proper exposure.
Up next: Fun with photos at library events
Photo courtesy Cats-eye-view; CC:by-nd
// March 31st, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Libraries, Photography
Cross-posted at ALA TechSource as Take Pictures, Tell Stories Part 2.
There are three measurements that work together to make up a properly-exposed photograph: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. These three measurements are to a large extent dependent on one another; changing one setting requires that at least one other be changed to compensate.
“Seattle Public Library” CC:by Jeff Wilcox.
ISO is roughly equivalent to what used to be the “speed” of film, but in digital terms, the ISO is the measurement of how much light has to hit the sensor for an image to be exposed properly. Lower ISOs are used in bright light; higher ISOs are used in low-light situations. Be aware that raising the ISO, particularly in older or less-expensive digital cameras, can introduce undesirable noise, or speckles, to images.
Understanding and knowing how to manipulate the other two measurements, shutter speed and aperture, can produce widely varying images. Changing the shutter speed can freeze action or introduce the suggestion of movement; varying the aperture dictates how much of the image–front to back–is in focus. The latter concept is called “depth-of-field.”
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the measurement of how long the shutter is open and is usually expressed as a fraction of a second: 1/100, 1/13, 1/1000. Lengthening exposure time allows more light into the camera and captures the subject over a longer period of time. Decreasing shutter speed freezes action or movement, but slower shutter speeds require a brighter setting or a change in aperture or ISO to ensure the proper amount of light hits the sensor.
Take these two photographs, for example:
The photo on the left has a shutter speed of 1/13th of a second. The streams of water look smooth, and the people walking on the left in the background are slightly blurred as they walk by.
Now consider the photo on the right, of the same fountain, taken at 1/1000th of a second. The lines of the fountain no longer look smooth, and it’s not only possible to discern individual drops of water but to see the tiniest droplets that have bounced up off the surface.
Aperture
The aperture is the part of the lens that opens to let light into the camera. Also known as the “f-stop,” the aperture setting can vary in size, with subsequently larger openings (smaller f-stop numbers) letting in more light than smaller openings (which, confusingly enough, have higher f-stop numbers).
Consider the fountain images again. In order to capture the first one at 1/13th of a second, the aperture was stopped down to f22, the smallest opening possible for the lens used. The bottom image, captured at 1/1000th of a second, was shot at f2.2. Notice the crisp background in the first and the blurred background of the second. A small f-stop limits how much of the image is in focus and is great for portraits. A larger f-stop is good for group shots, like capturing a crowd at an event, or taking a picture of an entire room.
Depth of Field
Depth-of-field is an expression of how much of a photograph, from front to back, is in focus. Changing the aperture can result in two different images of the same scene:
The image on the left has a very narrow depth of field; only the flower’s petals are in perfect focus, as is a relatively small length of the tape measure. When the lens is stopped down to the smallest aperture, f22, the entire tape measure is in focus, as is the flower.
Setting a camera to capture a narrow depth of field is particularly useful in isolating the subject of a photo against its background, as in this photo of my fellow TechSource blogger, Jason Griffey:
Narrow depth of field is ideal for portraits, whereas wide depth of field is required to capture details in a landscape or interior, although narrow depth of field can be used effectively in architectural photography as well:
(Left: f20; Right: f3.2)
As mentioned above, changing the aperture changes the amount of light that it let into the lens. The shutter speed must be changed accordingly to compensate. Most of us rely on our cameras to make these adjustments for us, but here is where knowing a bit about how your camera works can help you dictate what sort of photos you get, instead of the other way around. For a more in-depth explanation of depth of field and its concomitant terminology, visit BernieCode.
Note also that the lion’s face in the photo on the left is slightly elongated. I haven’t yet researched why this is, but I suspect it has to do with differing focal lengths. These photos were taken with the same lens.
Applying these principles in your library
In a library setting, a higher shutter speed would let library staff capture fast-moving toddlers at storytime, while a slow shutter speed (and sitting the camera on a tripod or other stationery object) would make for a great night shot of the building.
I already mentioned that a smaller f-stop makes for great portraits or other photos where it’s necessary to isolate the subject from the background. A larger f-stop is not only great for group shots but for taking photos inside or outside the library building, for brochures or websites. We have exciting events and beautiful buildings; show them off with pictures!
One of the biggest advantages of digital cameras over film cameras is that it costs little-to-nothing to take dozens, even hundreds, of shots. Experiment with your camera by shooting the same scene, changing one setting at a time. Any digital camera will have different modes that allow the photographer to fix one value while varying another; it’s a great way to learn.
Up next: Cameras and modes explained
About the “Take Pictures, Tell Stories” series
// March 31st, 2010 // No Comments » // Photography, librarians
This summer, I had the pleasure and privilege of participating in a LITA Preconference session with Michael Porter and Helene Blowers titled, “A Thousand Words: Taking Better Photos for Telling Stories in Your Library.” Michael and Helene shared great tips for using and reusing photos to record and relate the stories of our libraries and our communities, and I explained and illustrated the basic principles of photography, and that pictures can be improved by understanding how these principles work together to produce a properly exposed image. There was a ton of content shared over the day; over the next few months, the “Take Pictures, Tell Stories @ Our Libraries” series will share some of this and other photo-related content with TechSource readers.
I’m thrilled to be able to share photography tips and tricks with TechSource readers. Part I of the series has been posted, and Part II is in the can, as they say. I’ll also repost them here. Have a photography question? Submit it as a comment on the TechSource blog, here, via twitter, Facebook, or send email to cindiann at gmail dot com, and I’ll try to help.
// March 17th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // Conferences, librarians
I’m running for LITA Board member at large. If you’re a LITA member, I hope you’ll vote for me! See all the details at my LITA election page, particularly my Candidate’s Statement.
LITA has led the way organizationally with Interest Groups and programmatically with Top Tech and BIGWIG but has not led the way in online programming or collaboration. I want to help transform LITA to fulfill these roles and to be a more nimble organization.
I believe that I have the skills and passion for the profession that make me a good fit for the job:
I’d also like to take a moment to encourage you to vote for Colleen Cuddy for President, Adrienne Lim for LITA Councillor and Jason Griffey for Director-At-Large. Jason’s running for Council, too!
Ballots are out this week–look for yours in your inbox. Thank you!
// March 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Libraries, Web Stuff
Mobile, mobile, mobile. It’s all we hear these days. Mobile…it’s the new black. Mobile…you just GOTTA. At my library, mobile web browsers have only accounted for .3% of the total site traffic so far this semester. Taking all the public PCs into account (the default webpage for which is of course the library web page) only takes this up to .5%. So, should my staff and I still put effort into a mobile library site, just to serve this handful of people?
In a word, yes. Yes, there is a lot of hype right now, but nonetheless, this traffic will continue to grow. With some initial planning like that so thoughtfully presented by Beth Ruane, Missy Roser, and Courtney Greene of DePaul University, at the ALA Midwinter meeting in Boston, a mobile-optimized website is within every library’s reach.
// January 25th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Libraries, librarians
I’ve had the privilege (no, really) over the past couple of years to serve my profession and professional association as a committee chair, committee member, and task force member. ALA Committees could use a lot more sunshine than just this blog post, and I encourage other committee members across the organization to write and share your experiences.
LITA’s Top Technology Trends is often said to be the organization’s flagship brand. As an attendee, I had no idea how it worked. Turns out it works in a way similar to other committees and interest groups who put together programming for ALA conferences. For this purpose, it functions very smoothly: there is a group of folks who decide together via various online meetings and email threads who to ask to speak and how to share the session. Top Tech has been known for pushing the envelope, trying different technologies to bring in remote speakers and audience commentary and to push out audio and video. When we have failed, we have been criticized, but we have learned from our mistakes and tried something different the next time. I look forward to being off this committee so that I can actually listen to what is being said!
Technology lessons learned:
General lessons learned:
Have you served on association committees? What has your experience been?
image cc:by-sa lumaxart
// November 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Libraries, librarians
Official press release stuff:
LITA/Library Hi Tech award nominations sought
Nominations are being accepted for the 2010 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award, which is given each year to an individual or institution for outstanding achievement in communication for continuing education in library and information technology. Sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and Library Hi Tech, the award includes a citation of merit and a $1,000 stipend provided by Emerald Press, publishers of Library Hi Tech. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2009.
The award, given to either an individual or an institution, may recognize a single seminal work or a body of work, created during or continuing into the five years immediately preceding the award year. The body of work need not be limited to published texts, but can include course plans or actual courses and/or non-print publications such as visual media, for example. More information and a list of previous winners can be found at on the LITA website in the Awards and Scholarships section.
Currently serving officers and elected officials of LITA, members of the LITA/Library Hi Tech Award Committee and employees and their immediate family of Emerald Press are ineligible.
Nominations must include the name(s) of the recipient(s), basis for nomination, and references to the body of work and should be sent to afifarek@scottsdaleaz.gov. Electronic submissions are preferred, but print submissions may be sent to Aimee Fifarek, Scottsdale Public Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4452.
The award will be presented at the LITA President’s Program during the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Library Association in Washington, DC.
Unofficial bits from me:
2009-2010 marks my third year working with this LITA committee. It is gratifying to beat the bushes for and comb through nominations from my professional colleagues and recognize the best of those with this award.
The award’s entire title is “LITA/Library Hi Tech Award For Outstanding Communication for Continuing Education in Library and Information Science,” which is quite the mouthful and most often shortened to the “Library Hi-Tech Award.” Doing so leaves out its essence–in my not-so-humble-opinion–that this award is best given to someone who gives back to our profession, though his or her work, writings, presentations, or general professional outlook.
So, I urge you to think about who deserves this recognition. From whom do you learn most, either in writing, presentations, teaching, or even informal interaction? Whom do you know who is making a widespread and lasting impact on our field of library technology, however you define it? There is so much amazing work done by our libraries’ technology staff and our profession’s technology evangelists! Let’s dig in and recognize this great work.
// May 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Conferences, Libraries, librarians
“Where the rubber meets the road… applying what I learned at Computers in Libraries 2009”
Have you ever cleaned papers off your desk, only to find lurking at the very bottom that list of nifty ideas from that awesome conference you attended months ago? It’s easy enough to report what was seen and heard at a conference; it’s more difficult to apply that knowledge and demonstrate its application. Life and work inertia typically get in the way, even at institutions that welcome new ideas. The Computers in Libraries 2009 conference was a month ago. Have I applied what I learned there? The answer, not surprisingly, is “yes and no.” Here is a brief summary of the takeaways from my favorite session at this year’s CIL—and what I have (or haven’t!) done with them.
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