Blogger address changes

click photo to enlarge

Anyone visiting a Blogger-hosted blog in the past couple of weeks may have noticed a difference in the web address of their destination. Google has rolled out a change that, once again, doesn't seem to have been formally announced, or if it has, was so low-profile that I missed it.

It works like this. If you live in Australia and visit PhotoReflect (for example) the address you saw in your browser before this change was http://photoreflect.blogspot.com. Now, however, it will show http://photoreflect.blogspot.com.au. If you live in the UK you'll now see http://photoreflect.blogspot.co.uk, and so on for each country. You can still use the old address and you'll go to the blog, but your browser will now show your country's identifying letters. So, to all intents and purposes, for both the blogger and the blog visitor, there is no need to change anything or do anything different.

Given that last statement I imagine some of you may be wondering why there has been this change. Apparently it's to do with giving Google greater facility to control blogs based on country of access. The change makes it possible for Google to more easily block or censor a blog in one country, where this is required by that country's laws, without the blocking or censoring applying to every country right across the world. On the face of it this seems a reasonable compromise on Google's part. However, the ramifications of censorship are not always immediately evident and it will probably take a while longer before all the implications of this change surface.

All of which has nothing to do with photographs of quail eggs. These were a gift from some friends who keep domestic quails and I thought I'd photograph them in all their mottled, muted delicacy before we ate them boiled for lunch. If you've ever eaten boiled quail eggs you'll know that their small size and thin shells can make preparing them a very fiddly and frustrating experience. However, we received this tip that makes the task easier and I pass it on so that if you are ever faced with the diminutive darlings you'll know what to do. First tap the egg to break the shell, then roll it on the plate or table under light pressure from your hand and - voilà - the shell will now peel off much more easily in larger pieces.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Photo 1
Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 100mm macro
F No: f11
Shutter Speed: 1/4 sec
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation:  0 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Google Street View bad for photographers?

click photo to enlarge
Today, after I'd rolled into a parking bay whilst out shopping a Google "Street View" car, complete with mast-mounted cameras came and parked next to me. The heavy rain showers had forced the driver to put covers over the cameras, so there's no chance (I think) of me featuring on Google Maps!

Until today I've watched the debate around Street View with a fairly detached interest. Individuals who don't want to be featured, or people who don't want their property to be shown, have kicked up a fuss, and some have succeeded in having their image or that of their house blurred. It seemed to me that the ability to navigate through a town I've never visited, with an all-round view available is a very nice extension of the excellent mapping that is currently available from Google on the web. Until today.

As I walked off to do my shopping a thought came to me about Street View - it's bad news for photographers! Why? Well, anti-terror legislation and fears of paedophiles have led to some photographers having their right to photograph freely in public places restricted, in some cases legally, but often illegally. My concern is that Google Street View cameras posting millions of images of people and places on the web will drive people to assert their right to privacy over such activity regardless of who is taking the photograph. The harmless amateur taking snaps in a town centre will be seen as someone infringing someone else's privacy and liberty, just like Google. It's a wrong conclusion, I think, but unfortunately that may be the turn that the debate takes. I can see that politicians seeking to be "responsive" to the electorate might well choose the route of least resistance and bring in legislation to restrict what is currently a valuable freedom.

If that happens we'll be restricted to taking shots like today's of the Fenland landscape of Lincolnshire. Not a person or house in sight for someone to object about! Which will be fine if you like to photograph empty landscapes with clouds, but is more than a little limiting in the long term.

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Olympus E510
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 11mm (22mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/2000 seconds
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Image Stabilisation: On