User talk:Muhammad Mahdi Karim/Archive 4

Re: Asilidae Stichopogon sp.
I've replied here since the nomination got closed. I'd definitely tweak the raw a fair bit on the edit. The white balance seems very biased towards yellow. Noodle snacks (talk) 03:12, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Website
I happened to pop by your website, Micro2marco, and had one minor comment. For the top header, where it says "Photography is a form of hunting where that which is shot, lives forever." I don't think you need the comma after "shot." Very cool website, though.  Spencer T♦ Nominate! 01:21, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Re: 180mm
I haven't really shot that many insects. I've been currently concentrating on fungi since Autumn is the best time of year for that and the weather makes birds and insects more difficult. It is too late in the year to easily get damsel and dragonflies. I've taken a few however with different lighting methods:


 * Thanks for the compliment. I think the apis portrait was a tad soft because I had to boost the brightness a bit (and consequently noise, so I did a noise reduction), the teleconverter would also cause a little softness. Depth of field is very small too. I'd guess that the magnification was over 2:1 though, and I was still a good 150-200mm away. I think you could quite possibly even get away with two sets of tubes rather than a teleconverter. There is a picture of the cardboard and tracing paper softbox here. Noodle snacks (talk) 08:17, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the note
I haven't felt particularly motivated lately. But well done for nominating the Richard Bartz image - it's a good source. Papa Lima Whiskey (talk) 21:28, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

Re Kaaba
Thanks, I'll take a look though I think I may have to wait till I get onto a broadband connection to watch it - just had a try but it's taking too long.

BTW, just happened to watch a program on TV last week that had a report on Tanzania. It wasn't particularly glowing - in fact quite the contrary - but just thought I'd mention it to you because, other than stuff in the odd nature documentary, we hear almost nothing about TZ. See here. Not sure what you know about it. --jjron (talk) 15:06, 25 April 2009 (UTC)


 * What you say is pretty much in line with the TV program. I don't usually watch this show, it was just sheer chance it came on after another doco I was looking at and that was the first story, but for the record it is a serious current affairs program and not just the sensationalist rubbish that most of them are these days in Western countries. So it did comment on the 'positive' aspects that you mention as well and how outraged most Tanzanians are by the practise. BTW, as an introduction they also commented on how poor the country is in general and showed an overcrowded classroom with the students actually keen to learn whatever they could to try to help improve their situation, which I found quite heartening and impressive as we see too many youths in rich western countries actively resisting any education. --jjron (talk) 06:05, 26 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Yeah, that is an ironic truth in most places I guess - people don't appreciate how good they've got things. Here, where even the poor people are pretty rich on a global scale, private schools are in general considered the source of most high achievers, with too many of the poorer people not caring that much as they can still be relatively comfortable or at least survive OK even without taking advantage of a good education (with many notable exceptions of course). Let me know if you hear further developments re the other story. Cheers, --jjron (talk) 07:42, 26 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the update. It's all pretty gruesome. --jjron (talk) 14:29, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Talkback
More specifically,.  wadester 16  20:49, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

Use one of your images
Could I please use [[Media:Kaaba mirror edit jj.jpg]]? Thanks very much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Leolisa1997 (talk • contribs) 11:16, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

Panorama software
Hey Muhammad. What software do you use for your panorama stitching? I'm interested in going through panoramic photography, but my software from Canon isn't the best. Thanks,  Zoo Fari  21:36, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Another recommendation needed
Hey Muhammad. Thanks for your recommendation for pano software. Since you are a macro photographer, I bet you focus stack. What software do you use? The focus stacking article offers software but don't know what to choose. Any recommendations? Thanks,  Zoo Fari  04:59, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Congratulations!

 * Sorry it took so long... busy week.  wadester 16  17:00, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Re: File:Undentified Fly 9820.jpg
Thanks for the info. I haven't spent the time to ID it because of looming exams. It is cold and windy here so the remaining insects stay fairly still. If they are more mobile I use a softbox on a home made bracket. At full power the umbrella will work fine from about 1-1.5 meters away at f8-11, iso 400. The light isn't as soft at longer distances, but is quite useful for chasing around ants or feeding bees. So depending on the situation I will either throw the umbrella on a light stand and hand hold or put the camera on a tripod and handhold the umbrella. I find the tripod useful for stabilisation at higher magnifications (1.9x with tubes, ~2.5 with teleconverter as well). The best method, if possible, is to get someone to hold the umbrella for you. File:Eusthenia sp.jpg is an example of this. I use this method for fungi in particular, it avoids having to carry a light stand for hours in the bush. I could write a step by step guide but it is all very simple: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html has a lot more information, but many of the techniques there are aimed at photographing people, and some of the more creative lighting options aren't really so good for an encyclopaedia. I'd eventually like another flash or two, but I don't have much priority on buying equipment at the moment. Noodle snacks (talk) 00:40, 15 June 2009 (UTC)
 * 1) Plug radio transmitter into camera hot shoe
 * 2) Plug flash into radio receiver
 * 3) Connect radio receiver to umbrella bracket
 * 4) Optionally add modifiers (gels, snoots, grids, umbrellas, softboxes)
 * 5) Put umbrella person on stand or hold it.

Titan Globe
Kaldari has proposed a replacement image. Please consider updating your !vote.  wadester 16  04:49, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Congratulations!

 * On a somewhat related note, when you put your name in the FPC, can you use your full username, rather than pipe to your page? Makes it quicker when giving you this message. Thank you. :-)  wadester 16  02:00, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

Congratulations!

 * Nicely done, sir.  wadester 16  23:57, 20 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks wade --Muhammad (talk) 07:08, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

Another green box:


Damërung ...ÏìíÏ..._ Ξ_       .  --  20:46, 24 June 2009 (UTC) -- has given you a Pandan Cake! PandanCakes promote WikiLove and hopefully this one has made your day a little better. Spread the WikiLove by giving someone else a cake, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past or a good friend. Bon appetit!

Nice contributions to the featured picture candidates!
 * Thanks for the cake :)--Muhammad (talk) 20:56, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Flower IDs
Hi Muhammad, I saw your post at Lycaon's Commons talk page about flower IDs. I'm absolutely hopeless at identifying flora, I don't even know where to start. So I only just recently signed up at the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, and both of my posts requesting IDs were answered within minutes. The forums are not location specific, they appear to encourage worldwide participation, which is unusual for the ID forums I've seen so far. I think you can either upload images directly to the post (maximum size 1200x1200) or link to wherever they might already be uploaded, say Flickr or Commons. Anyway, I hope that's at least a little helpful! Mae din \talk 15:43, 25 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I joined the forum a few days ago and posted a picture of one flower. All I got was a complement about how nice the flower looked. I will give it another try, thanks for letting me know. --Muhammad (talk)  16:46, 25 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh, that sucks, :-( Hmmmmm.  That was the best idea I had, sorry!  Mae din \talk 16:56, 25 June 2009 (UTC)

POTD notification
Hi Muhammad,

Just to let you know that the Featured Picture File:Dar es Salaam Panorama edit2.jpg is due to make an appearance as Picture of the Day on July 5, 2009. If you get a chance, you can check and improve the caption at Template:POTD/2009-07-05. I realize you'd asked for this to appear in April, but I'd completely forgotten about that and didn't remember until after the date had already passed -- sorry about that.  howcheng  {chat} 18:19, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Blue Devils
Here's a detail from another political cartoon published around that time. Your comment prompted me to stop and think whether I had inadvertently bought into a racial stereotype; perhaps so? After editing this thing at right (which clearly isn't human) I passed over the other thinking "They had to hand tint to get color during this era, and probably didn't have the budget to do that for this project." But you're right about the skin tone and facial features. Especially on the image that's at FPC. Would welcome your thoughts about this, and how to be more clueful in future.  Durova 273 05:03, 4 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Not a very big deal, at least not IMO. I don'tknow what could be done but I think it's ok to nominate such images. If that's how the thinking was, then that's where the EV lies. Good to see you back at FPC--Muhammad (talk) 12:51, 4 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Thank you. :)  Durova 273 14:59, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Arabic text-Scout stuff
I noticed you earlier helped Jeff Dahl, might you be willing to help me identify some Arabic text? Thank you so much! Chris (クリス • フィッチュ) (talk) 14:16, 5 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Thank you! (you're a really good photographer, by the way!)
 * The ones I need, or need to confirm, are:


 * File:Algerian Muslim Scouts logo.png
 * File:Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides.png (is the Arabic: الاتحاد العام للكشافة والمرشدات‎)
 * File:Egyptian Girl Guides.png * م م | كوني مستعدة
 * File:Iraq Boy Scouts and Girl Guides Council 2004.jpg *جمهورية العراق
 * File:Iraq Boy Scout Green Zone.jpg
 * File:Jordano copy.jpg
 * File:Kuwait Girl Guides Association.png *م ك | الفتيات المرشدات
 * File:Scouting in Lebanon NEA.jpg (is the Arabic: Kun Musta'idan or كن مستعداًدوا‎)
 * File:Scouting in Lebanon Cedres.jpg *جمعية كشافة الأرز
 * File:Fédération Libanaise des Eclaireuses et des Guides Masharih.jpg
 * File:Libya Scouts.jpg (is the Arabic: Wa a'eddou or و أعدوا‎)
 * File:Association des Scouts et Guides de Mauritanie.jpg (is the Arabic: جمعية الكشافة والمرشدات الموريتانية‎)
 * File:Mauretaniao copy.jpg this text seems to be different, corresponding to the IMS in the center, Islamic Mauritania Scouts maybe?
 * File:Qatarue copy.jpg (is the Arabic: جمعية الكشافة والمرشدات القطرية‎‎)
 * File:Sahraoui Scout Association.jpg
 * File:Saudiarabiab3oe copy.jpg (is the Arabic: جمعية الكشافة العربية السعودية‎‎‎)
 * File:Zsaudiarabia.jpg (is the Arabic: جمعية الكشافة العربية السعودية‎‎‎)
 * File:Sudanooda copy.jpg
 * File:Emirates Scout Association badge.png (is the Arabic: جمعية كشافة الامارات‎‎‎), and dare you even guess at the small lower scroll?
 * File:Girl Guides Association of the United Arab Emirates old.jpg *الفتيات الكشافة | كوني مستعدة
 * File:Yemen Scouts and Guides Association.png
 * File:Yemenaa copy.jpg (is the Arabic: جمعية الكشافة والمرشدات اليمنية‎‎‎)


 * Thank you so much! Chris (クリス • フィッチュ) (talk) 07:49, 6 July 2009 (UTC)