Categories
Blogging Facebook Flickr Photography Reviews Software Tech Talk Tips Web

Google+ – The First Week

Earthly Storm Nebula - 110305 Clouds UHES 157 tm
Earthly Storm Nebula

Earlier in the week, I started my adventure with Google+…

After playing with it since Tuesday, July 12th, I offer up a few comments, thoughts and observations in this following Post.

I by no means have all the answers, and I may not have found what I am looking for yet, but I hope to!

If you have anything to add, please let me know!

“Invite Only”

First, it required that one gets an invitation to this new service, which I received from an old high school friend, who became my first Circle member.

Somewhere on the web, I read that “Invite Only” appears to be an old marketing ‘thing’ that makes the person feel special once they get one, and in the case of Google+, this seems to be the same idea.

Remember Buzz? they did the same over there.

But at the same time, Google+ is still in “Beta”… (Haven’t we see this before?)

Quick Update – Some early reports/posts to suggest there are sections/features that maybe a little rough…

Sign-On

Second, and if you have a Gmail account, this is a ‘no brain-er’, but after you sign on, it is suggested that you take a few moments, and review what has been transferred.

In my case, I added a new description, which was blank; updated some of my links; as well as my profile picture, which had been originally created in a lower size, so when G+ showed it, the image was very pixelated.

This time, I made a 1024×1024 at 72dpi image, uploaded and it looks very nice!

Third, start poking around the interface.

“Wall” (Stream)

On the surface, it looks much like Facebook, which starts with your “Wall” (Stream) – your snap-shot of your “life”.

If you happen to have a very active “Wall” on Facebook, the same thing should happen as you connect with more and more folks on Google+.

A nice ‘new’ feature on Google+ (G+), is the “filters” on the left navigation area, that are based on your “Circles” (Friends/Groups), and simply clicking on one, you can focus your Stream.

This is also available in Facebook, but for some reason, at least for me, this feature seems to have taken a higher preference in Google+.

The Post

As with Facebook, Google+ also presents you with an area at the top of your Stream, where you begin your basic thought communication.

You click on the man box, and just start typing your content.

From there you can easily add a Picture, Video or Link, just like Facebook.

A new addition to this feature bar, is the Location button, which really seems geared toward the mobile phone user.

Add a Photographic Image

Recently, I joined another photographic website, JPGmag, and was forced to upload a single image at a time to my portfolio.

With Facebook or Flickr, I could do the same thing, or I had the option of using Adobe Lightroom for uploads.

A cool new feature with Google+, for me at least, especially since there does not appear to be a Lightroom plug-in, is the ability of doing a ‘drag-and-drop’ a group of image files directly from the desktop (Windows XP)!

One of the things that I do like about JPGmag’s image upload requirements, is 1000 pixels or above, which when viewed on-screen, does render much more nicely and Google+ also can take advantage of!

Photo Management

At this point, I have uploaded about 30 images, and out of habit, I have checked what information is associated with a given image.

The Photo Management area which is provided by Picasa, and is very similar to the management area on Flickr, and is very welcomed when dealing with one or a group of images.

Geo-tagging

One of my peeves about Flickr’s geo-tagging function, is that it can or has been difficult, or at least it use to be, but when compared to Picasa/Google+, it is a breeze because: 1) GPS info seems to carry over from Lightroom/Jeffrey’s “GPS-Support” plug-in; 2) one can use the Google Map interface, which has a search function, unlike JPGmag.com!

General Tips & Suggestions

Terms of Service (TOS)

In an earlier post this week, I initially express concern about several reports on Google+ “Terms of Service” as it related to posting photography.

I have finally decided that, in this day and age, it is more important to just get my images out there and in front of as many eyeballs as possible, and seems to be worth the risk.

Copyright-Watermarks

Years ago, when I was working as a Freelance Assistant, there were may days that I sat in front of stacks of slides from a recent photo shoot, and used a rubber stamp to copyright each slide.

Needless to say, that was rather time-consuming, and is far easier today, but today, the Copyright-Watermark now can actually appears on the image itself, or be changed on the fly!

On Flickr, I have seen some very creative Copyright-Watermark, and have worked on my own, but in doing some reading via a several Google+ threads, there seems to be an open debate.

A well followed Photographer, Thomas Hawk, actually suggests not to include a Copyright-Watermark, because it can distract the viewer. (See Point #4 in “Top 10 Tips on Google+ for Photographers“)

Then there are others, like myself, who can not conceive of not including a Copyright-Watermark, but maybe not as predominately across the image.

Of the folks that are for a visible Copyright-Watermark, the debate has also gotten to the level of:

© 2011 Andrew Seymour
vs.
© 2011 Andrew Seymour – www.aseymour.com

Your particular point-of-view (POV) on this is going to be a personal choice, and the debate is going to continue.

Addition Copyright-Watermark conversations

Eric Leslie via Google+

Viewing – Screen Real Estate

I spend a great deal of time on my old IBM T-23 laptop, which has a small LCD screen.

Google+ has a much more open feel to your environment, and is wonderful on a large monitor screen, but when viewed on my laptop, I have to move up and down far more frequently.

Facebook on the other hand, is more compact, and one can get more info per screen.

Early Observations

I do want to emphasis that these are EARLY observations, and with all things Google, things will change.

Converts

At the moment, I see this as the single biggest issue for Google.

Google definitely has the advantage in terms of daily eyeballs, but how many people are willing to spend the time to convert their existing social network to another platform.

I have also heard from my contacts on Facebook, that they do not want to learn another social media environment.

Cross Pollination – (Google+ > Other Social Networks?)

One of those terms that is first introduced in a Biology class, but makes abundant sense when used in the context of Social Media.

I am still new to Google+, and I may not have found to yet, but how does one Post in one environment and have the Post pollinate other Social Media accounts?

Like many others, I have a Facebook page, that is Linked to Twitter, and vice-versa, Twitter to Facebook… I also have my Flickr Photostream pollinating Facebook and Twitter… Toss in my WordPress blog…

I’m hoping that someone can help me, and I will continue to search for an answer, but…

If Google could Link everything in a Post-Once-Cross-Pollinate-Others environment, that would be a “Killer Application”!

I can already hear folks saying the Google already has too much info on “you”, but who doesn’t? Have you looked hard enough?

Visual Orientation

Google+ has a much cleaner and open design, and with large image thumbnails, and even better Album thumbnails, I have to go with G+, especially if you are doing something visual, such as Photographers.

Google Life – Welcome to the Cloud

I must say, that it is very nice to have the Google tool-chest in front of my in one spot!

Gmail, Calender, Documents, G+, etc. all in once place, and ready to go, and the best part is that it is Free! (well, but that is another post to be done…)

One can log-on from anywhere, and get stuff done!

Very cool and I do see this as the Future!

But…

Do I use all the Tools? No…

Why?

If I post something… My original thought… My artwork….

Once I post it to another machine, Who owns it?

From my point-of-view, it is my series of thoughts and ideas that created the file, but to the machine that it now “lives” on, it is a bunch of 1s and 0s, and I do not own that machine.

This issue needs to be discussed more, and a common practice needs to be identified and implemented before there is wider adaptation by people.

Finally…

I do NOT have the answers to many of these questions and issues that I have outlined above, and I am sure, that I will find many answers in the coming days and weeks, so I am hoping to get some great feedback!

I also hope that this latest experiment from Google does not go the way of Wave…

Please let me know your thoughts!

– Andrew
§ § § § §
[adrotate banner=”1″]
Categories
Blogging Facebook Flickr Information Online Life

Google+ TOS and Photography

2011 Chester County Balloon Fest 098
2011 Chester County Balloon Fest 098

Today I got an Invite from an old friend of mine to join Google+.

Everything that I had been reading, suggested that Invites were still hard to get and Google was reducing the amount of Invites being sent out.

So I was very happy to get an offer from my friend Steve.

It was easy to sign up my account via my Gmail address, and I spent a few minutes checking out the details that had been imported into my profile.

After making a few corrections, I went up to Facebook, and posted that I had a new Google+ account!

Almost immediately, a few my friends started to request Invites, which I still need to send, but haven’t figured out how to yet…

But then one of my local photography contacts, Mike, suggested that I check out a Washington Post article that talked about Google’s Terms of Service (TOS) and how it related to posting of photographic images.

Google+ may carry dangers for photographers

Initially I was very shocked, and proceeded to read the cited blog posting by Scott Bourne on photofocus.com.

Google Plus – Read the Fine Print BEFORE You Sign Up

Which further made me reconsider moving all my images to another environment, and was nothing I was looking forward to, after having just joined JPGmag within the past week.

I posted the two links above, onto several of my Facebook pages, looking to get some input from my connections.

After some dinner and television, it was off to bed for the kids.

As the house began to quiet down, I was able to put on my shows, and begin my nightly surfing of the Internet.

Still very intrigued by the Scott Bourne posting, and decided to do a little bit more research.

Being a creature of habit, I fired up my Firefox, and went to Google to start my search, using the search term “Google+ +Photo +TOS”, and began to read the results.

About three-quarters of the way down the page, I noticed an article that included the term “social media” in the Title, which I thought was rather odd considering my search criteria, so I clicked.

Google+, Social Marketing and the Changing Photo Industry

As I started the skim Colby Brown’s blog post, I noticed he was the teacher, and he thought it was important to stay ahead of the game in regards to social media when teaching his students – I very much agree.

Mr. Brown also writes about the older photography business models, and suggested some new marketing opportunities based on common practices used when posting to social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.

I agree with Mr. Brown full wholeheartedly in the fact that photographers can not give away things for free, but at the same time, in the older business model, it was quite common for photographers to spend money on Mailings of prints or slides of their work.

Those Mailings, have now been replaced by the 72dpi images that he is suggesting, and in the name of the game in the photography business, is to get your work in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

His article just made sense, and I commend him for his observations and thoughts.

Thank you!

Thankfully, I did not delete my jpeg files that I had generated for JPGmag, so now I just need the time to start some more posting!

– Andrew
§ § § § §
[adrotate banner=”1″]

Additional References

Categories
Announcements Blogging Facebook Flickr Online Life Photo Essay Photo Journal Photography Projects Published

End of my First Flickr Pro year

It was a year ago, that I bought my Flickr Pro membership…

Last year at this time, I had about 50 images, and maybe 2,000 recorded views.

So… What has happened?

and “meeting” a great group of people along the way!

The Folks I have connected with on Flickr and Facebook, have been Great!

And because of the “Chester County (PA) Photography” group on Facebook, we had a Meet-Up at Hibernia Park in Coatesville in April, and have continued to share when ever possible!

I can only hope that the next year brings as much fun and excitement!

Thank you all!

– Andrew
§ § § § §
[adrotate banner=”1″]
Categories
Chester County Chester County Balloon Festival Coatesville Events Facebook Flickr Photo Essay Photo Journal Photography

2011 Chester County Balloon Festival

Tethered Balloon Ride - 2011 Chester County Balloon Fest 034
Tethered Balloon Ride

Back in May, on the Chester County (PA) Photography Facebook page, Daniel Potter posted the first link for the “Chester County Balloon Festival“.

To be honest, I had never heard of this event before and over the next couple of weeks, I tried to help keep the topic alive in my “social” network.

That being said, when Saturday arrived, the kids were very eager to go, and were having a hard time understanding that we were going to be leaving later in the day.

Our plan was to be there for the “Mass Ascension Hot Air Balloon Launch”, which was scheduled to start at 6pm.

Getting there was a breeze, and parking was the typical off-road and on to the grass arrangement.

We got there early enough that the real crows had not gathered, so we were able to leisurely walk around and check up the some of the vendors and get some food.

As we relaxed and ate some dinner, we sat in the field that was allowing folks to walk into semi-inflated interior, and watched as some people climbed into another tethered for a quick ride into the sky..

The starting time for the “Mass Ascension Hot Air Balloon Launch” neared, and we headed toward the viewing area, and managed to squeeze into a small spot.

Both Madison and Logan stretched their necks to see the balloons slowly gaining size as the handlers blew up the balloons with hot air.

Handlers adding hot air to the balloon
Handlers adding hot air to the balloon

We watched as each colorful balloon gained its final shape, and lifted into the air.

Balloons being launched into the air
Balloons being launched into the air

The last few balloons were taking much longer then the traditional ones to fill with air, and kept may new comers guessing what they were, but it was apparent that they were something complex.

Finally the Clown Head and Haunted Halloween House had taken shape, and in the spirit of the balloon, the crew added a little extra touch to the moment!

Skeleton in the Haunted House balloon
Skeleton in the Haunted House balloon

The kids had a great time, and we do plan to go back next year!

Andrew (SDC) - View my '2011 Chester County Balloon Fest' set on Flickriver

[contentblock id=1]

Categories
Announcements Blogging Chester County Facebook Nature Photography

Stroud Preserve Trail – VisitPA Profile Picture

110501 Stroud Preserve 145 tm - Wooded Trail
Stroud Preserve – Wooded Trail

As I was scrolling down my Facebook wall, checking in with life, I noticed a thumbnail that looked familiar, and when I begin to read the content, I was very happily surprised!

I am very happy to announce that my trail shoot taken last weekend at Stroud Preserve in West Chester, has been selected as the Facebook Profile picture for VisitPA!

This is a great honor and I hope that you will enjoy the picture as much as I do.

If you are interested in seeing other images from that walk, they can be found on my Flickr Photostream.

You can also read my more details in photo blog entry, “Nature Walk at Stroud Preserve.”

Thanks again to the folks at VisitPA!

– Andrew
§ § § § §
[adrotate banner=”1″]