Desktop Pictures
Insects and Konstanz
After 15 months of having regular desktop pictures featured in ATPM, we decided to do something different. Due to the large numbers of talented photographers interested in having their pictures made available to our readers, we decided to double the fun and have two desktop pictures series in each issue of ATPM instead of just one. In future issues, we will also introduce the ability to “vote” for your favorite pictures, allowing us to give you even more of what you want.
We also want to allow you to share you favorite photos with others. If you have a picture, whether a small series or just one fabulous or funny shot, feel free to send it to editor@atpm.com and we’ll publish it in next month’s issue. Have a regular print but no scanner? Don’t worry. E-mail us, and we tell you where to send it so we can scan it for you. Note that we cannot return the original print, so send us a copy.
Insect Desktop Pictures
Juri Munkki of Helsinki, Finland used a Nikon Coolpix 950 to capture these macro-photographs of various insects.
You need a bit of patience and luck to get interesting pictures of bumblebees and butterflies, but it also helps to use a relatively high shutter speed. Shutter speed and aperture will almost always be a compromise—a wide open iris will severely limit the depth of field, whereas smaller iris sizes will usually result in long exposure times that fail to freeze the image properly.
The macro mode on the 950 allows you to get close, especially when the zoom is in the optimal range, indicated by the change in color of the macro mode indicator.
At times, the auto-focus is fooled into focusing on the background or on something other than your target. In those cases, either manual focus can be used (move the camera back and forth to find the limits of the depth of field). Alternatively the shutter button can be pressed halfway down to lock the focus on an easier target, such as your own finger. Then, while still holding the button, the photo can be recomposed using the real target.
Next time you see flowers, have a closer look and you’ll probably find beautiful insects having a feast somewhere in there.
Konstanz Desktop Pictures
These pictures come courtesy of Jens Grabenstein. The photos were taken with a Canon EOS 300 using a 28-80 mm zoom lens and 200 ASA 35mm Kodak film. Most of the photos were taken in the surroundings of Konstanz, a small town located in the South of Germany, close to the Swiss border. The photos were developed and digitalized using Kodak PhotoCD technology. Re-sampling and re-touching were performed with Adobe Photoshop 5.5.
Previous Months’ Desktop Pictures
If you haven’t seen the rest of the series, it includes: Yellowstone National Park, Drops, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Monaco, Montréal, Bahamas, Clouds, Aerial, Made with Macs, Landscapes, Northwest, Animals, Spring Flora, National Parks, Insects, and Konstanz.
Placing Desktop Pictures
Mac OS 8.5 and Newer
Go to the “Appearance” control panel. Click on the “Desktop” tab at the top of the window. Press the “Place Picture…” button in the bottom right corner, then select the desired image. By default, it will show you the images in the “Desktop Pictures” subfolder of your “Appearance” folder in the System Folder, however you can select images from anywhere on your hard disk.
After you select the desired image file and press “Choose,” a preview will appear in the Appearance window. The “Position Automatically” selection is usually fine. You can play with the settings to see if you like the others better. You will see the result in the little preview screen.
If you are satisfied with the selection, click on “Set Desktop” in the lower right corner of the window. That’s it! Should you ever want to get rid of it, just go to the desktop settings again and press “Remove Picture.”
Mac OS 8.0 and 8.1
Go to the “Desktop Patterns” control panel. Click on “Desktop Pictures” in the list on the left of the window, and follow steps similar to the ones above.
Random Desktop Pictures
If you drag a folder of pictures onto the miniature desktop in the Appearance or Desktop Pictures control panel, your Mac will choose one from the folder at random when it starts up.
Also in This Series
- Parting Shots · May 2012
- Tsavo National Park, Kenya · April 2012
- Rwanda · March 2012
- From ATPM Readers · February 2012
- Easter Island · January 2012
- Disney World · December 2011
- The Netherlands · November 2011
- Easter Island · October 2011
- New York City · September 2011
- Complete Archive
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