mmacro

This may sound silly... But has anyone ever thought of Christmas lights strung out in the landing zone? Using a T-pattern you could indicate the direction of wind, and since they are small and on the ground they are not a danger to people landing (just don't land on them and knock them out). If the LZ is a little way out from a plug you can always get a small generator and extension cords to run the lights; or run it off an inverter hooked to a car or deep-cycle battery. Just mark these with a red light so jumpes know to avoid it.

I have to drive nearly 2 hours to either DZ near me (Baltimore). I did the math and driving 6 hours to Bragg and jumping free for 2 days was cheaper than driving to my normal DZ for a day's jumping. I feel guilty leaving my wife at home with our 11-month-old daughter for more than a day. We made the B&G a family trip and she visited friends in town while I jumped. The good news is that she was talking about returning next year before we even left. It's a good feeling not have to convince her of the idea.

I had a great time last weekend. This was my first time attending. I'm already counting the days till next year's event. Is anyone posting photos from the weekend? There are 4 on the GKs Facebook page. It was reaaly great being around so many jumpers that are also military.

Does anyone have input on the camcorder and Mac OSX working together? I'm approaching the mark where I can start planning on shooting film/photos. I want to make sure that I have my options thought out before hand so I'm not making guesses later. I use Mac computers and have had issues in the past with camcorders not working properly with the computer. Thanks, Mac

What do you mean? Am I serious? Yes. Please, some constructive answers. I know that a person would see some of the silly media questions like why did the parachute fail. Those are easy to brush aside. But I'm military and there would be just as many "serious" questions about the procedures and safety of demo jumps. I'm looking for serious answers. Help a brother out.

Can I ask for some feedback on a project I am working on? It is a crisis communication plan for a class I am taking. I need to develop some answers to potential media questions regarding a hypothetical skydive incident during a demonstration jump. I figured, write about something I know about – and the final product is always something I can pass along to the DZ’s I jump at, a two birds with one stone concept. Q: How safe is skydiving at air shows? A: Q: How can volunteers help? (after the incident) A: Q: How long have the jumpers been involved in demonstration jumps? A: Q: How are the teams selected? A: Q: What is being done to prevent future incidents? A: Q: Who is at fault in the accident? A: Q: Will you suspend demonstrations like these in the future? A: Q: How many causalities resulted from the incident? A: Q: If mistakes are discovered during the investigation of the incident, how are safety violations handled? A: Q: How did the accident occur? A: Q: How often do accidents occur? A: Q: Who/what governs the safety practices during a freefall demonstration? A: Q: How many demonstrations are held each year? A: Q: What is the monetary amount of the damage? A:

You have a very strong point. If it is fair for someone to do to Bush - then Obama is just as fair to parody. Presidential parody has a long history going back to Wahington's days... Poeple need to get over themselves.

Key word "recommends." And your making assumpitons about what I was expressing. While I will never do anything to put myself in danger, I also will make use of the opportunity to advance into the slice of jumping I really want to get into. Of my 96 jumps so far it's easy to say that 90% of them are solo or in small groups of 2 or 3 jumpers. My stability and control is very good. And you will notice I did not mention that I wanted to start jumping cameras that weekend. I was thinking more along the lines of how to fly my body and work with camera suits. Since I don't have a helmet that I can mount a camera it isn't even an option. But I would be stupid to pass up the chance to jump with Golden Knights that could help me with the easiest part of the transition - how to fly like a cameraman.

I know... It is just that I'm almost 2 hours from the DZ and I just want to be sure I can knock it out in one shot with no retests. It looks almost for sure I will be able to attend this year's Black & Gold competition held by the Golden Knights for military recreational jumpers. I will not have enough jumps to compete (I'll have 100 +/- out of the 150 required). But I thought if I could get my B license I might be able to get coached on some camera work as well as RW. Since I am a military photographer I would love to start filming jumps and I can't think of who else to get get off on the right foot with (except maybe N. Kent)

If you know everything in the SIM and FAR Parts 91 & 105, you'll pass. You'll also be a properly educated skydiver. Hey... That's great advice. Too bad I asked about practice exams so I could check my knowledge.

I was not aware of the memorial either.

I'm no expert jumper. I love the sport, but because of family obligations I can not jump as much as I would like. IMHO: Get experienced jumpers to stop acting like taking an alternate landing as a sign of an inexperienced jumper. If a person chooses to take the alternate landing area they made a smart choice – the choice of an experienced jumper. Don’t give them a hard time. I do this all the time. I jump a slightly fast canopy for my weight and often I just prefer to set up for the BIG field on the other side of the runway at Chambersburg, PA. I’m perfectly happy to let people with more experience shoot for the “peas”. I’m glad that there jumpers are fine with my choices and don’t make me feel less of my skills. I’m getting better and one day I will be able to drive tacks when I land. Make people feel like they have to land in the “up-jumper” areas and they are more likely to make choices they will regret. IMHO

Does anyone know of any practice B and/or C license exams on the web that a person can take? Not software to download, but a practice test. Thanks

What I heard on Fort Meade matches the news. _______________________________________ By Bill Mckelway Published: August 4, 2009 A longtime skydiving instructor and veteran Army soldier whose body was discovered Sunday near West Point apparently died as a result of his reserve chute opening prematurely as he prepared to jump. State police released few details about what they said appeared to be the accidental death of Command Sgt. Maj. Harry L. Parrish Jr., 53, of Fort Meade, Md. State police said the death remains under investigation. But the head of a skydiving school said Parrish's reserve chute opened Saturday evening as he was leaning out of the door of a plane at 14,000 feet, preparing to accompany a student in a free fall. Parrish was facing toward the plane's fuselage at the time. "It was just a freak chain of events, a terrible accident," said Jim Crouse, who heads West Point Skydiving Adventures. Parrish worked for the school on weekends, driving to West Point several times a month. "He loved teaching and working with young people. He was just devoted to it," Crouse said. Crouse said Parrish and the student were not quite able to leave the plane simultaneously, and when the student jumped first, Parrish's reserve chute opened. The chute, caught in the rush of air, flew straight back from the plane, pulling Parrish into the rear horizontal stabilizer, Crouse said. Parrish fell, apparently unconscious, and landed in trees a few miles east of the airport. "He was about 15 feet off the ground," Crouse said. Parrish's body was not found until Sunday about 11 a.m. near the 900 block of Buena Vista Road in King and Queen County. Skydiving schools have operated at Middle Peninsula Regional Airport near West Point since the early 1960s. Crouse said 14 jumpers were on the plane at the time, Saturday about 7 p.m. The student jumper landed safely but is "very distraught," Crouse said. "I tried to explain that what happened wasn't anyone's fault." A family member said Parrish was a veteran skydiver and parachute jumper of about 30 years. "He definitely knew what he was doing," said John Parrish of Donelson, Tenn. Parrish was the oldest of five brothers and grew up outside Nashville. He joined the Marines at 17 and was a career military officer, his brother said. "We know he died doing something that he loved doing. Skydiving was what gave him his fix," John Parrish said.

Hosw ironic we started talking about a related topic today in the photo class I teach. high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) Shoot NEF format (or the Cannon equiv) and use the setting in PhotoShop. Tiy have to use a tripod and the camera can't move at all. PhotoShop stitches together the images and produces a evenly exposed image. Google the method and check it out - it is worth the time.

How much work do you want to do? As to the photo/art issue. As long as you clearly claim a digitally enhanced image or photo illustration most professionals understand. Multiple images is the way to go. Your jumper image could be lit using fixed lights instead of flash. Even if you do use flash - if you have access to enough - you could build PVC pipe frames and strech a white bedsheet over it. Then the light (constant or flash) is diffused and soft so it looks more natural. Have the jumpers fly past the sheet and take your photos. By the way, the new Nikon flash is pretty hot. You can use them off camera in groups and you can use the on-camera flash to communicate with the off camera ones and actually change settings without physically touching them.

That's OK. I guess this post is as much about raising awareness of photographer's rights as it is about SR. It bugs me that businesses that are for profit don't get that even if it's a photo or graphic that an “amateur” produces is fair game to use to make money with. It’s our biggest hurdle to get new artists to realize they should not sell themselves short just because they are not Norm Kent. If a business wants to use an image they should pay a fair, consistent fee no mater if you take 100 photos a year as a hobby or 10,000 as a professional. If it’s good enough to use for advertising or other professional use then pay a professional fee.

There are ways to embed tracking codes in metadata that is not stripped out. You can also watermark images in an area of the photograph you can't crop out. And from what I've seen SR does not take too much care in disguising their handywork. My original point was that if you have a CD or DVD with files burned on it with the metadata present and you demand they stop using your work, you have a legal basis to prove a case. You can prove when the disk was burned, you can prove it's yours with the time stamps on the images themselves - they even record camera serial numbers that take the photos. If SR is smart enough to strip the images of metadata then it will all be blank, or the false data will be timestamped differently. If a large number of photographers have the same story, and provide credible evidence then it's highly unlikely SR could snow a judge. Locks keep an honest man honest. Will they try to get over - sure. But we can sure make it a hell of a ride for them as individual skydivers.

Then tell them to start paying for the copyright images they use without permission - in other words STEAL. If it's fair for them to profit in the manner they do, why don't they share their profits with photographers. Any other legit advertising company would NEVER steal images from a photographer in a national effort. If they did they would get their asses sued off. And if they are such a stand up company then why did the state of Georgia find them guilty of improper business activities in May 2007 and find in favor of of a fine over $21,000? Sue them for copyright theft of photographs, graphics and likeness of registered businesses and take some more of their "hard earned" profits.

"Because you're new to DZ.com..." Did you really go there? While you do have a D license and I just have an A with just under 100 free-fall jumps (add another 50 or so military rounds) - I've still been a member of the site longer than you. I just did not post, preferring to sit back, read a lot and wait to see how I felt on things once I had more experience. Yes there are older threads. But sometimes it's worth posting anew so new members, who might not be aware of Skyride, see the posts.

As a professional photographer and a jumper looking to transition to photography while jumping, I have a vested interest as to the ethics of businesses in the skydiving world. From what I have seen Skyride is abusing intellectual rights, using images and graphics they have not paid for. That is theft. We might as well allow illegal music downloads and pirate DVDs. We are talking about the same legal requirements. And I’m not talking about threats… do it! Get a lawyer and offer to let them keep all damages – or a percentage of damages – so they will work at no cost to you. If individuals bring to bear the weight of all those that have a stake in their illegal usage of copyrights, trademarks and likenesses of businesses I can’t imagine them being able to maintain their current level of offenses. We can sit around, and moan and groan; belaboring how horrible it is that our USPA dues went up, that they are not fair, that they stole images from us. Or we can act, sometimes it takes individuals to act together to get results. Why another post, because they are still conducting business as usual.

I also have seen that Skyride has practices that are arguable. The courts should decide the legality of their business… But we can fight back. They are using photographs that they have not asked permission to use. They are a 3rd party that facilitates jumping. They should pay individuals and businesses for the right to use images, graphics and other intellectual property. I used to work at Newsweek in the photo department for 5 years. And I teach photography at a government school. One of the classes I teach is copyright. End of story – an individual owns copyright for life plus 75 years; then it becomes public domain unless the family/person inheriting the copyright renews it. It is not necessary to file for a copyright. It is automatic, and it does not need to be labeled. But you have to prove you are the copyright holder. If an individual sells the right to an image they can grant exclusive rights, North American rights, European rights, one time usage, web rights, print rights, and more: the list is up to the discretion of the owner of the photograph. If you want to hammer Skyride, take note of the photos they use. Contact the people that took the image. Send them a registered, notarized letter that informs them they are using an unauthorized image and they must stop using it immediately (give them a time frame to comply). Let them know that if they do not comply you have legal options available and they could be held responsible for payment for using the photo; the amount to be determined by you and/or the court. If they do not take it down a send a second, noterized registered letter telling them that they are past the timeline you set, and a call to a lawyer should get you a nice check for your troubles. What burns my pants is seeing the “justification” by Skyride for their business practices and their insistence that they are an ethical business (note I did not say legal). An ethical business that sells tickets for events/attractions they do not run would ethically pay royalties to the artists/photographers/businesses for using the materials used in promoting their referral service. In today’s digital age, all photographers/artists, regardless if they are professional or amateur, should take steps to safeguard themselves from predatory business practices. 1. Rename your files so they are not the default names from the camera/software. Use a consistent method. We use specific information separated by dashes: the date in yymmdd format, followed by an individual’s identification (something like initials and a unique number that stays the same), then a sequence number, and finally the file format. This sorts the photos by date automatically Example: 090716-MTM3345-001.jpg 2. Embed the photo’s file name in the metadata of the jpg, along with the photographer/artist name, when it was taken, where it was taken, and that it is copyrighted. Put anything you consider necessary into these data fields. They have spaces for contact information, etc… And you can lock this so that it stays with the file no matter what they do with it in Photoshop. If you do this then you have a fairly airtight case for copyright infringement. Make it too expensive for them to do business and they will back off. There is a fine line in Skyride’s actions. The crux is; are they fairly representing their abilities to provide a service? Just because a particular practice is legal does not give them a free pass to do it. They must have a fair and reasonable ability to provide the services advertised. Since they are working in the commercial travel realm it might be advisable to take up their business practices to the FAA and the governing bodies that regulate air travel and agencies such as Expedia, Hotwire, etc... I would think they would have a better chance to change their practices since air travel has tighter controls.

I've got Paralog to work. It installed fine. I suggest contacting Klaus if you are having problems. I was asking about how Pro-Track attaches to computers. I did not know if it had a mini USB, or I have to buy the L&B IR dock. Their user guide does not give specifics of the device. I've read that some peole are having problems with the IR connection and was hoping to find some more feedback (good or bad) about this.

I just ordered a Pro-Track. I use a iBook and Paralog. Do I need to order the L&B adapter to connect it to the 3rd party logging software on my Mac? I just don't want to drop that much money if I can pick up a generic cable from an electronics store for $5 that will work instead.

First, does anyone know if the WBT-201 is Mac compatable? Second, what's the general opinion on the following. I am having to decide between buying a WBT-201... or buying a Pro-Track and using my eTrex Vista HCx as a secondary source. What would you do?