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Thanks Huga I don't know what I want out of it, because I've never used it before. I just didn't know if I "needed" to buy another program or if that was sufficient - the teacher wasn't a Mac user, so didn't know what it was capable of and whether it would do or not.

I've just finished doing a basic DSLR course and one of the things that was discussed was shooting in RAW. I knew it existed, but I've never done it, as I'm not really one for playing with my photos. But now I've seen how much you can improve a photo I have a Macbook Pro, which has iphoto installed on it. If you click the edit button, there seem to be the same controls that were on whatever the program we were using at the CIT were, exposure, saturation, contrast, definition, highlights etc. My question is - do I need another program if I'm shooting in RAW, or will that do it? I'm not exactly sure what I need to be able to do it - my understanding is that you download the file then need to convert it to jpeg or whatever you're using? It was a really brief overview of RAW, so I would need to do something a bit more indepth before I launched into I think

Sorry if you don't have facebook. There are some nice photos of the dogs on the link Koda, the police dog injured while on duty in August 2013, has retired from active duty, along with three other dogs from the SA Police Dog Operations Unit. Along with Koda, Bosco, Nitro and Major have all completed their final shifts for SAPOL and will now take a well-earned break as family pets rather than working dogs. Inspector Paul Roberts, from STAR Group, said Koda had retired due to a mix of age and health reasons, but that it was not related to last year’s stabbing incident. Bosco has retired due to health reasons, while Major and Nitro have retired due to their age. “Each of these dogs has given excellent service to the South Australia Police and the wider community,” Insp Roberts said. “They have all been very successful and have well and truly earned their retirement.” However, while there were farewells at the Dog Operations Unit this week, the officers were also welcoming some new team members. Koda’s handler is now working with Hunter who officially graduated this week, while Bosco’s handler is working with Rebel. Photographs (left to right): Bosco and Rebel, Nitro, Major, Koda and Hunter

There are photos of the little girl in the link. A pretty appalling action by the KFC staff, but glad they have responded in the right way http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/young-pitbull-victims-family-stunned-restaurants-r/ngMHb/ Young pitbull victim’s family stunned by restaurant’s request View Larger KTVU Victoria Wilcher Sponsored Links KTVU and AP Wires JACKSON, Miss. — KFC Corp. says it's investigating allegations that a restaurant employee in Jackson, Mississippi, asked a 3-year-old to leave because her facial injuries disturbed other patrons. The company is also giving $30,000 toward Victoria Wilcher's medical bills, a spokesman said Sunday. The allegation about KFC was made Thursday on "Victoria's Victories," a Facebook page following Victoria Wilcher's recovery from a pit bull attack in April. The administrator posted a photo showing Victoria smiling shyly in spite of her facial scars and cartoon-decorated eye patch, and wrote, "Does this look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners." KFC posted an apology the next morning, requesting details. "As soon as we were notified of this report on Friday, we immediately began an investigation, as this kind of hurtful and disrespectful action would not be tolerated by KFC," spokesman Rick Maynard wrote Sunday in an email to The Associated Press. "Regardless of the outcome of our investigation, we have apologized to Victoria's family and are committed to assisting them. The company is making a $30,000 donation to assist with her medical bills. The entire KFC family is behind Victoria." Her grandmother Kelly Mullins said Victoria had just been to a doctor's when they stopped at the restaurant. She ordered mashed potatoes for Victoria because she thought the hungry child could swallow the soft food without chewing. She says she was then approached by an employee. "They just told us, they said, `We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers,'" she told WAPT-TV. Victoria wept all the way home and now is embarrassed by her appearance - something that wasn't the case before, Mullins said. "She won't even look in the mirror anymore," Mullins said. "When we go to a store, she doesn't even want to get out" of the car. Victoria was attacked by pit bulls at her grandfather's home. The dogs broke her nose, both jaws, cheekbones and right eye socket; the right side of her face is paralyzed and she lost that eye, according to her Facebook site. Her bottom jaw was reconstructed but she needs a feeding tube and must grow more bone in her face before more surgery is possible, it states. The page's administrator wrote Sunday that "Victoria's Victories" had gone from 250 people praying for Victoria to thousands. The page had more than 32,500 "likes" on Sunday. A message posted Friday evening by another Mississippi KFC franchisee, Dick West of West Quality Food Service in Laurel, offered "a big KFC picnic" for the child and her family. West also wrote that he knows the Jackson restaurant owners "and they have never in the 50 years they have operated in Jackson allowed anyone coming into their restaurants to be treated with dis-respect." In a message to the AP, he wrote, "I am sure KFC will make their finding public as soon as the facts are in. In the meantime, I offered to treat Victoria to a picnic because regardless of the outcome of the investigation, she has been thru more than any little girl should and I wanted to give her a special treat."

So sorry MW. We never have enough time with them RIP Tess, chase those balls, pain free now.

http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/3772-ivanhoe-warrant-uncovers-stolen-puppy-and-vehicles.html IVANHOE WARRANT UNCOVERS STOLEN PUPPY AND VEHICLES FRIDAY, 13 JUNE 2014 13:33 PRINT EMAIL Darebin Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged two men and a teen after a warrant executed in Ivanhoe uncovered a number of allegedly stolen items including eight vehicles and a stolen Staffordshire puppy Axel today. Police executed a warrant at a property on Dalveen Road just after midnight. Eight vehicles, tools and a jet ski were seized. Ivanhoe man Craig Sotiropoulos, 29, has been charged with a number of theft-related offences including theft of motor vehicle. He has been remanded to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates' Court today. A 16-year-old Ivanhoe boy was charged with theft related offences and will appear at a children's court. A 35–year-old Reservoir man was charged with burglary and theft from motor vehicle. He was bailed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on 1 August. Axel the Staffy puppy was allegedly stolen during a burglary at a Corowa Crescent address in Greensborough on 31 May. He will be reunited with his owner today. RSPCA Shelters Manager Liz Walker said it was pleasing that Axel, who had come into RSPCA care, was able to be promptly returned to his owners. "Every year, thousands of pets are reported as lost or stolen, and microchipping is critical in helping return those pets to their owners," she said. "Because the dog was microchipped and that microchip was up-to-date, it was a simple process to get in contact with the owner and reunite them." Police are still working to determine who the owners of the stolen items are. Senior Constable Melissa Seach Media Officer 35102/2014

Beautiful photos of lovely dogs. I didn't even realise that the Afgan came in Brindle (is that what it's called on an Afgan?)

Great article and so very true. Just the other day I suddenly realised I hadn't done my "homework" for the photography course I'm doing, so I set about to do it. (with hours to spare, not much has changed since school really :laugh: ) Only three things - fast shutter speed to freeze something, slow shutter speed to make it flow and a panning shot. I had some things in mind, so I set about to it. Got the slow shutter speed shot easily enough with a drop of water from the tap. So then I thought I would freeze a drop of water coming from the tap. I sat there for about half an hour and took a gazillion photos (well, perhaps an exaggeration, but easily a couple of hundred) trying to get the drop just as it separated from the tap. Every single one was a millisecond too soon or too late. I was getting crankier and crankier, so I decided to go out and feed the budgies and calm down a bit. As soon as I walked into the aviary, I realised I had the perfect subject there, grabbed my camera and got a stack of photos of budgies "frozen" in the air as they were landing or taking off from their perches. I also thought I had the perfect subject for my panning shot. Max, my dog, running in the yard. What I forgot to factor in, is that Max is the least doggy dog in the world and won't chase anything or run on command. So I spent a good half hour trying to make him run, throwing toys, making him sit at the other end of the yard then calling him, whereupon he would stand up, stretch and then amble towards me. Definitely not a panning speed. Grrr. Blood pressure rising again. So, I walked out the front to fill the bird bath and watch the birds, and a truck rumbled past along the road at the bottom of my street. Hah! How silly am I. So I stood there for a few minutes and got the shots I needed. Homework crisis averted, blood pressure down to normal and all it took was to look around and see what else I could do. Much like the shape sorter and the computer in the article

Some rippers in there. I wonder what happened to the centre of the first one? Whether it was used in a training exercise and they cut into it or something else? (I have almost as many lying around in my little suburban block. The "one day" cars aka grass killers! :laugh: ) If they are on your own property, you could probably find someone who would be willing to give you money for them. Even though they're rusty and incomplete, there will be someone out there restoring one and you can guarantee that there will be some usable parts on them

Success has little to do with it surely - if the dog doesn't thrive in a pack situation what is best for the dog is more important to me than how much it won/could win/might win. Funny "foxie cross" being the real deal :laugh: I think that while a Fox Terrier is a fairly distinctive dogs, they are now getting to the point where they aren't such a common dog, so not many people would have seen a purebred Fox Terrier. So many people confuse them with Jack Russells that they may have thought it was a Jack Russell Cross? Or, as others said later, they say everything is a X so people don't complain that they were misled as to the breed?

Either that, or they were two very epic dog poos..... Massive dose of Diarrhoea?

That's a great series.

I just wish my dog actually played with toys. Sigh. He is the least doggy dog I have ever had. Won't chase balls or sticks. Doesn't play with fluffies. Doesn't chew the deer antler I bought him. Won't use a puzzle toy. Sometimes, if you get him really, really worked up inside, he will chase one of the cats toy rats. But it takes a lot of winding him up first and it is usually short lived. And it doesn't matter how much you wind him up outside, he will not chase a toy, but he will do play bows to me and let me chase him around, with his bum down against the ground and tail tucked right under, turning around and play bowing at me, then taking off again with a big grin on his face. So, pretty much any toy I ever buy lasts forever :laugh:

Love your Cockies. I got a few photos of them when I was over there last year, but not many and with not enough zoom. But I know what they are, so I'm happy enough with them. They're doing some good things with projects to save the Black Cockies over there. Enjoy them

Just read that article about getting the cat to pitch the opening ball at a baseball game. No way in hell I would be taking a cat to a field with thousands of screaming people about. You would want to be wearing full body armour and shoulder length gauntlets I reckon to put a cat in that sort of situation :laugh: Otherwise, you might find yourself with a cat just like Pinky "a really loving cat" :laugh:

So sorry to hear of Collies passing Perse. She sounds like she was a lovely old girl with a sense of humour to boot. What is a normal age for a goat? I know relatively little about them I hope Bruce settles soon - you may just need to look for another Collie goat to keep him company. Hugs to you and all your critters.

Thanks for that info SSlF. I forgot to come back and update. I won the auction and already have the camera and lens. I wasn't particularly interested in the camera so much as the lens. The camera was just an extra that came with the lens, and if it was a better camera, I may have been tempted to keep it. My winning bid was less than what I can buy the lens for new (my original post was incorrect about the pricing), so I'm still happy with my purchase. I have a friend who may be interested in buying the camera, so I think it has been a win win situation. I don't have any complaints with my 700D at all. I just need to learn how to use it to its full potential Hopefully the course I start next week will be worth it. ETA - hopefully they will also include the benefits and best techniques for various lenses too - there are so many aspects of photography I want to improve on. Son's sport, birding, macro, general happy snaps.

I love DPS. Been getting their weekly newsletters for a few years now

Both lovely, I have a bit of a fondness for fungi and I particularly like your far.

Is it looking for a new home?

The runt would have to be Tyrion :) Wonder what the record for the biggest litter of puppies is?

They are totally adorable. Years ago, Taronga Zoo had several red pandas. They were the cutest of cute! One called MAyhem would make a regular break-out... http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2011/06/great-zoo-escapes-confessions-of-a-zookeeper/ Classy red panda appeared to like the leafy surrounds of Mosman. The Mogo zoo also had Red Pandas that escaped. Unfortunately, they really escaped. One was recaptured, but I don't think the 2nd one ever was. There were reports of it being seen around the area for quite some time afterwards.

Just wondering what people think of the Canon 60D? I have a 700D and have been thinking about getting the 100-400mm lens for taking photos of my sons sport and hopefully getting into a spot of birdwatching and getting some better photos than a little bit of colour that you can't identify in a mass of green. So, I've been looking at 2nd hand lenses and there is currently one listed, that includes a 60D and other bits and pieces. The current listing price is only a little more than a brand new lens would cost, but I have no idea how much the 60D is worth. it says there is a shutter count of 43,000 I wasn't particularly looking for a new camera, mine isn't even a year old, but this seems like a relatively good deal (at the current price, might not be by the end of it). I've enrolled to do a DSLR course, which starts in a fortnight, as I'd like to start using a bit more than the auto settings. I did do photography back in college, with a "real" SLR, but I have forgotten pretty much everything I learnt - it was a long time ago now :laugh: . I even knew how to develop my own photos. I know that the 60D is a level above what I currently have, but not sure what the upgrades are from my camera to that one. Can anyone tell me what the differences are (in simple language - I don't know camera speak all that well ) and whether it is likely to be of any benefit to me to change? ETA - I will continue looking for that particular lens, just thought that if this was a fantastic bargain, I might as well bid on it and get another camera too ETA - there is also one listed with a 40D for even less. Anyone with any info about this?

Lovely photos Perse and like everyone else, I look forward to many more.

She's a stunning girl and that's a lovely photo