Initial Post

Welcome to the first post on the blog from FotoZon

This picture on the left is of the Dried Squids




The Following was originally posted onto my Biography page, however I've moved it here now that I've decided to just use "Blogger" to keep track of all the foto-happenings.

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June 15, 2007 - Work continues on the FotoZon web site. Recently I have been learning CSS so I can apply a little bit of style to the web site. Previously I had no idea how to make the nice backgrounds, borders and link effects that you see on so many nice looking web sites out there. You can spend hours making all the different design elements and inventing new classes and section styles. One article on css that I found useful as a reference. It's ironic though that a web site on css has very little design - but maybe that's why I like it and it's a very handy reference for looking up the names of the element. I've still got a long way to go, but as a programmer I can appreciate the deisgn and really like the fact that I can change a few lines in the style sheet and effect change across the whole web site. I also found out that Firefox is a really good browser and the Web Master Add-Ons are a really good way to test out changes to the css on fly. Although some of the design looks different in IE, it is a really helpful way to try out new changes. Another recent change I made to the site was to add the size of 200 pixels to each image on the site. Eventually I'd like to add a custom size, so that a user could set up a custom size they want to use for their blog or whatever. It could also be used on a case by case basis. I've included some recent pictures in the left sidebar that I took in the rain here in Taiwan. Rainy season is definitely here, so it allows me a lot more time to work on the web site instead of walking around and playing basketball. Joseph

June 10, 2007 - Recently I converted all the file upload scripts including the new daily picture contribution form to use the Image Magick instead of the GD library. This doesn't mean too much to non-programmers, but it results in much better quality of resizing. There are also options to apply un-sharp mask, improve color saturation and crop and rotate images. Thanks to suggestions from two of my early FotoZon testers, I changed all the square 100 x 100 images on the site from being skewed re-sizes to be cropped instead. So for a portrait orientation, a little bit is chopped of the top and bottom. For the landscape orientation, a little bit is chopped off the right and left side. I resisted the change at first because it does not show the whole image, and I thought some of the pictures looked "cool" in their scrunched up version. However, after converting all the square pictures to be cropped instead, I believe it was a much needed change!

Joseph

June 5, 2007 - We have been busy lately programming some new features including the recently uploaded images and our latest endeavor, the Taiwan Picture of the Day. Just yesterday, I completed the one step contribution form for those who are new to FotoZon and wish to contribute a picture for Picture of the Day in one step. There is also information for those who want to add the picture of the day to a web site. Now the challenge will be to go our and publicize the service and find some enough photographers who are willing to contribute.

Joseph