PicasaWeb and Analytics

Are you using Google's PicasaWeb to show and tell your pictures? If not, why not? It's the easiest way to share them on Google+.

If you are, and you want to be able to see analytics on your images, Trey Radcliff has discovered the way. As he states on Google+:

How to hook up Google Analytics to your Google+ Photos
Ever wonder how many views your photos are getting? Here is a fairly hidden way to connect your G+ Photos to Google Analytics! 
1) Go to picasaweb.google.com2) Click on the Gear Icon in the top right - Photo Settings (notice the gear there shows DIFFERENT things than the gear on Google+ (Why?!!)3) At the bottom turn on Photo Tracking4) Enter a new Google Analytics Tracking Code
How do you get a Google Analytics Tracking Code?1) Go to https://www.google.com/analytics/web 2) Click on the Gear icon on the right, then click New Account3) Give it any name you wish and for URL use:https://picasaweb.google.com 4) Finish the other fields and click Create Account5) Your new code is the Web Property ID you'll see on the next page. (Enter that in step 4 above) 

And that's it. Thanks, Trey!

Dog Park

Took the K5 with me to the dog park today. Here are some pictures from the excursion. You have to remember, it was less than 20 degrees there and snow all over the place. Well, except for where Rufus is standing in this first picture.

I decided to use sepia as a change of pace from color and black and white. I think it works in this picture and brings Rufus out a little more than traditional B&W would have done in the same image. What do you think?



This second image is ice on top of the stream. If I'd brought a tripod with me I might have been able to get a better shot, but I didn't, so this is what you get. I know what it is and I have a hard time seeing it, so this one is going down as "abstract." Ha ha ha!

Rufus, again. This time in the reeds as we're walking off the beaten path. I like the contrast between his black and the golden colors of the vegetation. He looks like a mighty hunter, doesn't he? That's what he aspires to be: a might hunter.

Took the K5 Out

Finally had a chance to take the K5 out for a few shot this morning. Wow. Compared to my *IstDS it is amazing. Sort of like a Ferrari compared to a 1977 Ford Bronco. Here are some images from today. None of them are special, I was just practicing with the knobs and buttons.

First Image

First image with the new K5. Yes, this is my dog, Rufus. He is a very unwilling model so I had to stuff his Kong with elk meat. This image is SOOC (straight out of the camera). In other words, no post processing, no cropping, no nothing at all. I know, it's not a great image, but I wanted to use the camera!

Dammit! Still Waiting...

Been charging the battery for a few hours now. Argh! This is not fast enough! I want to play with my new K5! Reading a manual can only do so much.

That's one benefit of the *Ist DS over any of the more modern cameras: AA. No, not Alcoholic's Anonymous, but rather AA batteries. Since the DS runs on AA's, no matter if my rechargeable's were charged or not, I could always throw some new batteries in for instant access to the camera. Now I have to wait. Sure, in my bundle that I bought I received a couple of spare batteries (2, in fact, for a total of 3) but they all need to be charged. And yes, I checked: I cannot toss AAs in the battery compartment which would have been nice.

I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow for taking the first images. Argh!

Who's not a happy camper right now? I'm not a happy camper right now!

Arrival!

Arrival of the K5 was as simple as opening the door to the UPS man. I unpacked the box (the deal I got had a lot of extras)  and while the battery is charging, I am reading the manual. About 350 pages! I've read novels with less pages! This camera has many many many more features and options than my poor *Ist DS does. The the DS has very basic features, nearly the same as one would find on a film SLR camera. The K5 seems to have so many more options! I better not lose the manual.

Waiting sucks

Twelve days ago I bought a Pentax K5 (online) to replace my Pentax *Ist DS that I've owned since 2006. According to Amazon.com my order was shipped on November 10, however it didn't start UPS tracking until six days later with "Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit." 


Grrr!


And they gave themselves a week window for deliver with today being the last day of that week. As of this morning, it is out for delivery:


November 22, 2011 04:48:00 AM Commerce City CO US Out for delivery


Here it is, 11 hours later and nothing. Nothing! I don't want to leave the house (much to the dismay of my dog) in case I miss the UPS guy. I'm not sure if he'll leave it on the porch or if he'll leave a note saying "sorry we missed you." 

It needs to hurry up and get here! I'm losing light, dammit!