Whose eyes don't glaze over when the words “camera manual” are mentioned? I know mine do. While I do refer to my manuals, I have long depended on PhotoBert's CheatSheets for a quick refresher. Whenever I have needed to know which sequence of buttons to press for multiple exposures or where a certain menu is buried within the camera system, my “cheat sheets” come alive. I reckon they are sort of the Cliff Notes for the camera world.

On a whim, I drifted over to Bert Sirkin's site and was pleasantly surprised to see that he lives and operates his business about 15 minutes from where I live. I am going to have to go out and meet the man.

The Diwali Stamp petition I urged you all to sign is [groan] just another hoax. So says WNYC's Arun Venugopal [friend and now obviously super sleuth] in the latest SAJAforum.org post.

I'll be a little more suspicious now when I get this sort of junk in my inbox. With deep regrets and apologies to all who signed their name and provided the spammers your email address.

UGH!

Kiran Desai, author of The Inheritance of Loss, is the youngest woman to win the Man Booker prize. I do hope this love-fest for Indian authors never ebbs. Ultrabrown and Sepia Mutiny have their own salutes to her.

The Online Photographer Bookstore

PixelPerfect from Bert Monroy [via John Nack]

Stunning Nikon

RadiantVista has some terrific Photoshop video tutorials and podcasts

DesignObserver talks about the 1922 Tiffin Directory

For some time I pooh-pooh'd desktop inkjet printers. But they really have evolved in the last four years. Check this CreativePro series out if you are considering buying and using one for your images.

Steven DeGraeve is a busy man. Look at all the utilities he has designed. Did I mention they were free?

Apple's Aperture and Adobe's Photoshop Lightroom do just about the same thing. Which one would you use for your workflow?

Platon speaks here and here

“Media-Convert is the best manner of converting audio files, video, presentation, document, spreadsheet, etc.” [via Steve Rubel]

Top web applications in India. At the near top are two matrimonial sites. Hmmm … Want to check out other upcoming Indian sites. This is the place to go.

I am going to get a couple of UPStraps for my cameras because the ones I have now cut right into my shoulders.

Thom Hogan's guidebooks for Nikon cameras [and other photographic devices] are legendary. Check his site out.

This YouTube clip made me smile. Xbox has arrived in India and in a big way. [Via Om Malik]

Via International Journalists Network

A grant competition organized by the Open Society Institute (OSI) will award grants of up to US$40,000 to innovative photographers worldwide. The proposal deadline is October 6. The Documentary Photography Project gives grants to photographers who partner up with news media organizations, NGOs, schools or other groups to publish documentary photography that works to stimulate constructive societal change.

Interested applicants must submit proposals that address a current social justice issue, especially those that relate to OSI’s work. Projects must use innovative strategies to present the work to the public such as: Web sites, podcasts, or traveling exhibitions.

OSI is a New York-based private foundation. It was launched in order to support former Soviet States transition from communism to democracies. It has since opened up projects in other areas of the world where the transition to democracy is of concern. Among the activities OSI sponsors are: grant making to strengthen civil society, education, human rights, legal reform, media and communications, arts and culture, among others.

For more information, or to submit a proposal, contact whjohnson@sorosny.org, or visit this site.

May be not school as we know it, but I am looking for a refresher. So today, I decided to register for two workshops.

I am heading to listen to photographer Kevin Ames at his Pro Digital Workflow seminar on October 22, in New York city.

Then on January 28, 2007, I will be attending the Epson Print Academy also in the Big Apple.

Will you join me?