The nice thing about technology (it's a hoot - when it works) and specifically photo technology is that after the initial cost of the camera, the lens's, the filters, the tripod, the bag, polarizers, remote shutter release - seems I forgot something, but anyway - it's almost free as compared to the old film days when you had to pay for the film, pay for the processing and so you only took really really important pics (like babies first burp etc).

As previously mentioned, we've gone down the photo path this year and invested seriously (oh yes, add the flash and closeup ring flash to the pre-free column) and the fun has begun. Of course the first few dozen shots were just to see what the heck this button does - - - boy that's bright, guess you should aim the camera the other way when you push that one! Then, once the basics are on board the serious, well as serious as I ever get, work began.

After taking pics of flowers, cats etc. we went to Tlaquepaque shopping last week and I shot 250 pics, threw out about 50 immediately, then narrowed it down to 134 that tell the story and used my photo album software to put them out on the blog site - but, I wasn't very pleased, they seemed kind of hohum, small and fuzzy - FUZZY, after what the new cam cost?

After some study and head scratching I realized I needed to post the pics in a higher resolution which did improve things. But still not really showing off the attributes of the new camera (obviously couldn't be me?) So, I decided to try Flickr (online photo albums) which probably many of you have used or viewed at one time or another. The free account seemed simple enough, just sign up and have fun - yeah, "simple" and fun?

Well, it's owned by Yahoo and so immediately you have to have a Yahoo email? - now, I have literally something like 80 current email addresses for various reasons with the 360west.com account and I have, in the past, had several Yahoo email accounts, but of course they're shut down after a period of non-use, but the system holds onto the name for ever and ever it appears because when I tried each of them it said "sorry, not available, someone already has that one" - and I'm yelling at the computer "IT'S ME DUMMY, THE NAME IS MINE" - to no avail.

So, after a half hour of frustration I finally came up with a name it accepted. Then they want to know all about you? - hey, if I wanted you to know, I'd have told you up front! Ok, some info was given. Then you need a "screen name" and again, all my usual names were taken (because I've already used them - duh?) they suggest some like bouncingbabyboy, or ripplerapplerumple498 etc, I finally managed to put in some hyphens and get one I can remember to work - I mean really, could there actually be 497 bouncingbabyboys?

Then we get to the upload part where you patiently wait while 134 pics are uploaded. The next trauma came when I looked at them and realized they were totally scrambled from the order they were in, not in alpha sequence nor date of upload or capture etc. and I could not find the button to cause that to happen - so, I did the next most obvious thing, I went downstairs and fixed some lunch and cogitated on it for a time.

Of course I eventually figured out how to bend it to my way of thinking, or more likely, learned what it had in mind and we came to an agreement to more or less do it my way (as Frank sang).

All that being whined about, I uploaded a second album of random pics taken around the back yard, so they're both in the Photo Projects 2010 column to the left and labeled "Tlaquepaque 2010 and Backyard in Feb" (real original huh?). When you open the albums there is a little square button at the bottom right of the screen which will blow the slide show up to full screen so you get the full effect - I hope.

Enjoy, lots more to come this year, the tools are falling into place and like I said "it's almost FREE" now that I've mortgaged my SSI for the next year?

PS: I took another 200 of the kittens playing on their scratching post play thingy - but I won't bore you with those.