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If you don't have a fireplace, you can borrow this one... I filmed it at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin, NC. If you have the bandwidth, watch it in HD and in full screen. I doubt I will be posting anything here between now and Christmas, so I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

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Merry Christmas!!!

 

 

If you don't have a fireplace, you can borrow this one...

 

 

I filmed it at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin, NC.

 

If you have the bandwidth, watch it in HD and in full screen.

 

I doubt I will be posting anything here between now and Christmas, so I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

webcam test

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I've got a couple of hours of unprocessed video from my day trip to Waterrock Knob in October, and here is an early version of a montage of video and photos I am considering. This version has no photos, but is just a sort of test of concept. 

 

I can't wait for spring so I can get out on the Parkway and get some more video, especially material for time lapses of spring thunderstorms developing.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

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It's been a while since I posted.

 

Here is a brief update on what has happened in the last few weeks:

 

My Kodak Z710 has been mostly out of commission, it will work if I don't use the zoom lens. Blogging has been more or less the same. It's an odd feeling when I'm out at an event taking photos or video and have people ask if I'm Thunder Pig. That is happening more often these days, as are the invites to record meetings and events, both public and private. I don't charge for the public events if the admission to get into the event is free on the theory that I can recoup my expenses by increased web traffic and click-throughs on ads. 

The last event I recorded was the forum for candidates in the NC-11 GOP primary hosted by the Young Americans for Liberty at Western Carolina University on December 7th [video].

 

I've got a new laptop and the difference between it and the old one is astounding. Of course, the old one was manufactured in 2003 and had only 512 MB of RAM and a 40 GB hard drive. The new laptop has 3 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive. Editing video is going to be a lot faster than before. The new laptop will make it much easier to do live webcasts from events due to the increase in processing power.

 

The old laptop took an average of 25 minutes to render 1 minute of HD (1280x720 @ 30fps) video. I tested the new maching on 30 seconds of footage and it took 7 minutes. I'll be testing it out on a longer video today or tomorrow...which brings me to the new video editing software. 

First, a little history. From 2005 to the middle of 2007, I had no ability to edit video other than keeping videos under the 10 minute window for You Tube. No titles or anything else. This was a problem because most people speaking at events don't fit their speeches to under 10 minutes. During the stop and start of my camera (the trusty Kodak Z710 recording 320x240 @ 30 fps), I would lose about 20 seconds maximum of the action. I tried to identify a pause or applause line to minimize the loss of content. 

In the summer of 2007, I discovered One True Media [link], and began to use it to cut longer videos and to add title sequences. This video of then Lt Governor (now Governor) Beverly Perdue speaking is an example:

 

 

I was a couple hundred feet away, and the video zoom on the Z710 was very limited. 

In October 2007, at the Vance Aycock Dinner, Richard Bernier gave me some video editing software. It was MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 12. 

Now, I could do much more with my videos. Of course, the learning curve was steep. Here is an early example from the 2007 lights & Luminaries at Dillsboro, NC:

 

 

I eventually upgraded to Movie Edit Pro 15 sometime in late 2008 or early 2009. I didn't blog about it, so I'm not sure when that happened.

Over time, I got better. In March or April of 2009, I got a Kodak Zi6 HD pocket camera. That camera has been a workhorse like the Z710. 

 

 

This past week, I upgraded to a new laptop and (since I had given away the install disc to MEP 15) took the opportunity to upgrade to Movie Edit Pro 15 Plus. I also received almost 9 GB of Sound and Video Pool in a Christmas sale via the MAGIX website.

 

I've already taken the opportunity to revamp my Intro and Outro title sequences, and can't wait to put them on new video projects. 

 

I hope to be more regular in posting updates in the future.

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temp post city council

Precinct	Cecil Bothwell	Ryan D. Croft	J. Neal Jackson	Esther Manheimer	Carl Mumpower	Gordon Smith	Write-In	Total
	01.1_STEPHENS LEE COMMUNITY CENTER	103	12	84	89	52	119	94	553
	02.1_MONTFORD COMMUNITY CENTER	365	29	108	297	67	374	230	1,470
	03.1_ST MARKS LUTHERAN CHURCH	260	45	75	235	91	254	197	1,157
	04.1_NORTH ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER	160	52	77	253	116	196	135	989
	05.1_ST EUGENES CHURCH	181	138	175	328	262	199	248	1,531
	06.1_TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH	126	88	89	141	138	130	90	802
	07.1_KENILWORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH	225	45	70	212	85	217	192	1,046
	08.2_SHILOH COMMUNITY CENTER	96	81	134	124	122	117	83	757
	08.3_FAITH TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN CENTER	96	32	104	94	66	92	47	531
	09.1_MURPHY-OAKLEY COMMUNITY CENTER	139	114	128	181	158	177	95	992
	10.1_W C REID RECREATION CENTER	79	22	82	65	55	101	65	469
	11.1_ASHEVILLE SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER	105	18	58	71	40	98	55	445
	12.1_HALL FLETCHER SCHOOL	170	35	52	127	63	180	107	734
	13.1_GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH	156	46	52	124	99	167	100	744
	14.2_ASHEVILLE PRE-SCHOOL	128	53	92	125	104	137	70	709
	Precinct	Cecil Bothwell	Ryan D. Croft	J. Neal Jackson	Esther Manheimer	Carl Mumpower	Gordon Smith	Write-In	Total
	14.3_ELIADA HOME - PAUL AMOS REC CENTER	33	17	32	29	51	42	17	221
	15.1_VANCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	182	87	107	201	149	230	121	1,077
	16.2_WEST ASHEVILLE LIBRARY	191	115	108	176	177	237	156	1,160
	17.1_BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE	152	49	53	176	97	161	112	800
	18.2_TC ROBERSON HIGH SCHOOL	124	174	188	248	300	136	149	1,319
	19.1_SKYLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT	23	40	45	59	80	21	19	287
	20.1_ASHEVILLE APOSTOLIC CHURCH	70	21	28	59	46	62	44	330
	21.1_HAW CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	135	134	153	225	205	170	154	1,176
	22.2_IRA B JONES SCHOOL AUDITORIUM	221	126	160	347	244	270	196	1,564
	23.3_EVERGREEN CHARTER SCHOOL	81	85	93	127	153	94	74	707
	24.1_CROSSROADS ASSEMBLY	56	109	120	92	153	65	56	651
	25.1_CHARLES C BELL SCHOOL	100	109	130	146	205	125	80	895
	26.1_ASHEVILLE SCHOOL ATHLETIC CENTER	68	36	55	80	85	79	62	465
	28.1_COVENANT REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN	192	37	63	199	89	213	127	920
	29.2_NEW HOPE PRESBYTERIAN	138	159	162	249	265	149	132	1,254
	Precinct	Cecil Bothwell	Ryan D. Croft	J. Neal Jackson	Esther Manheimer	Carl Mumpower	Gordon Smith	Write-In	Total
	43.2_HAZEL 2 - JOHNSTON SCHOOL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	44.1_LOWER HOMINY 1 - OAK FOREST PRESBYTERIAN	33	46	47	66	85	45	34	356
	45.1_ENKA MIDDLE SCHOOL	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	3
	54.2_LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY	1	6	8	5	9	6	0	35
	55.1_LIMESTONE 2 - GLEN ARDEN SCHOOL	2	1	1	2	4	2	4	16
	62.1_RICEVILLE 2 - GRASSY BRANCH BAPTIST	7	3	9	12	9	8	5	53
	71.1_WOODLAND HILLS - BAPTIST CHURCH	6	6	5	10	10	9	4	50
	ONE STOP	1693	355	528	1590	815	1618	1266	7,865
	ABSENTEE BY MAIL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	PROVISIONAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	TRANSFER	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	4
	Total:	5,899	2,525	3,476	6,567	4,749	6,301	4,620	34,137

In Memoriam: My Kodak Z710

 

 

The camera you see above is the dead carcass of my old friend, my Kodak Z710. This camera has been a workhorse, recording just over 18,000 images and videos (some videos over an hour long) since I bought it to replace a Z710 that had greatly impressed me with it's stamina and rock-steady dependable performance. 

I've had it since 2007 and it will be (already has been) missed.

 

I have not yet decided what to replace it with. The Kodak Z1015 IS is certainly at the top of a very short list. I am also considering making the jump to an entry level DSLR camera, but even the entry level cameras are either too expensive, or there are too many negative reviews of them that have scared me off choosing them. If you know of one that is good for under $300 and has the ability to leave the shutter open as long as I want (for long exposures), and is VERY dependable and rugged, drop me a line.

With my KOdak Z710's, I've recorded images like those below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess you can tell that I got better over time taking photos with this camera, but I give the majority of the credit to the camera itself. I'll miss you, Kodak Z710...you've been a dependable friend.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous

In Memoriam: My Kodak Z710

 

 

The camera you see above is the dead carcass of my old friend, my Kodak Z710. This camera has been a workhorse, recording just over 18,000 images and videos (some videos over an hour long) since I bought it to replace a Z710 that had greatly impressed me with it's stamina and rock-steady dependable performance. 

I've had it since 2007 and it will be (already has been) missed.

 

I have not yet decided what to replace it with. The Kodak Z1015 IS is certainly at the top of a very short list. I am also considering making the jump to an entry level DSLR camera, but even the entry level cameras are either too expensive, or there are too many negative reviews of them that have scared me off choosing them. If you know of one that is good for under $300 and has the ability to leave the shutter open as long as I want (for long exposures), and is VERY dependable and rugged, drop me a line.

With my KOdak Z710's, I've recorded images like those below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess you can tell that I got better over time taking photos with this camera, but I give the majority of the credit to the camera itself. I'll miss you, Kodak Z710...you've been a dependable friend.

Posted via web from bobbycoggins's posterous