Well, if you don't know much about ISO (ASA - in the old film era), then you better take a look at this short article, "Understanding ISO", which is posted by ThinkCamera.com.
Note:
There is one thing to add to this article. It seems various manufacturers calibrate or mark the ISO level differently. Oh, not much, but sometimes the ISO of the same level on two cameras (of different manufacturers) could be up to a half stop off. At least it was noticed by some of the camera reviewers.

All of us know this famous phrase - "A Picture Is Worth Of Thousand Words". And probably there are a million of examples when it is true. But today I want to look deeper into this saying and relate it to a photograph and how the photograph is taken. My topic today is the story, the theme that we tell about in our photographs.
Just consider a masterpiece created by one of the masters. My example here above is bleak shadow of such, although still could be used as an example. If we try to tell everything a photographer "put" into the picture, describe whatever is depicted there and may be explain what kind of feelings float in there and how it affects us, all of it will require a lot words. Wouldn't it?
What does it mean? The photographer has put a lot content into a photograph and used a lot of words. But a simple collection of words will not produce a great story (remember a dictionary?) Thus the words should be connected into a plot, which in the photography world is a theme or the story. Even a simple photograph with the tree against a cloudless sky tells something, evokes certain feelings - the story mostly is created in our minds, but associations that we create from it.
Some stories could be about harmony and cooperation, when everything is peaceful and works seamlessly together (no conflict). The others could be based on a conflict or contradiction. And still the elements of the photograph (the words) should play the same tune of the main theme. Don't put an old tire into a pond with a white swan, if you are not telling about environmental problems. And if you are telling about such problems - make the tire and the swan your primary subjects. Do you feel what I am saying?
Make it all work together like words in a great novel - you are telling a story with a single motive!

Just want to share with you what I found on the Internet - Stephen Eastwood's website with great portraits. Just by looking at those photographs you start appreciate his talent, skills and maybe learn a bit about portraiture Take a look.

OK, it's probably an exaggeration, but anyway we all heard of iPhone and how it changed the accessibility of the web on the go. Now people (and there are probably around a million of those) can see your website in its full grace on the iPhone (not a stripped version as before). And some of us who has a website have some new rules to play by. So, what does it mean for you? This topic is discussed at A List Apart (a great place for web design articles) in the article called "Put Your Content in My Pocket". I think we at least have to read it and start thinking about the changes. Don't you?

There are probably very few people who take photographs and don't want to publish the pictures on the web. And you can find variety of ways to do it. Some of them are complicated, others are quite simple. John Nack on Adobe blog in his post "New Flash gallery power for Photoshop" provides us with a Photoshop script, by using which you can create a nice flash gallery right in Photoshop. Here is the example of the flash gallery - another tool in you bag.

For some while I couldn't fix the problem that bugged me a lot - the slideshows with the photographs that are scattered across this website weren't working on all computers. I searched for possible solutions and spent quite some time on trying various approaches. Nothing helped, and you my dear friend suffered from it also.
Well finally I was able to pinpoint the problem and find the solution. What's funny, it is still not clear why there is a problem, but the solution is working. In the slideshow, which I use, there is a path to the file with images listed - something like "http://www.romanzolin.com/images/...". And everything should work, at least it works on Macs and in the Flash when I test it. But when I publish it - nothing happens (an empty screen). Just for heck of it, I tried to remove "www." from the path, leaving it just "http://romanzolin.com/images/...", and it worked! Who knows why, I have no idea. Anyway, you can browse the photographs and I can breathe freely now

In our digital age our clients not only look at our portfolios, which are lately on the Internet, but they evaluate the overall presentation of the website. And what is important also is that the clients "google" us and see what pops up on those first few pages of the search results. Are those links lead them to good views on you, your work or things you've done? This issue is looked at by John Chapnick at BlackStar.com.

See the great photographs submitted for the contest and cast your vote. These photographs could be a great tool to learn and find inspiration from work of others.

With a suggestion of my friend just after the sunset we went to a bridge over I-495 (The Beltway). We hunted for a long exposure shots of the late traffic lights. The sun just set but the sky was still full of beautiful colors, but the view on the Mormon temple and the highway was blocked, so we went for another spot...

Another early trip to the mountains. What can I do? That place entices me and I cannot live long without paying a visit to this magnificent place. This time we woke up very very early, so early that we had to walk with the flash light. And we got there by the sunrise. It allowed us to have a long exposure that is great for taking shots of waterfalls. By the way, we visited White Oak Falls.

In times when an average wedding costs around 26-28 thousand dollars many couples find themselves in a tough situation after the wedding - the Debt. But it seems there is an easier way out, which is described by Ramit Sethi in his blog "I will teach you to be rich". He suggests to put some money away every month before the wedding. And what's interesting is how people do their weddings in Spain, one of the commenters tells us that in Spain the bride and groom give the account number for a donation (I would call it that), where every guest puts from 100 to 150 Euros. Isn't it a nice idea? Read the post to find out more.

And finally the pearl of the trip to Siberia - the lake Baikal. The only reason it is a lake, but not a sea, is that it doesn't have a connection to an ocean. Otherwise it's a full blown sea. And you can drink its waters - it's fresh water sea.
And whatever facts you hear from me or from anybody else they won't describe the beauty and magic of this place. Even the pictures I've taken is a bare glimpse of its wonders.

One of the first places I visited outside of Ulan-Ude city was the Sleeping Lion Mountain (also called Omulevaya mountain), which resembles a sleeping lion from one of the points on a nearby road. The mountain resides by the Selenga river that flows through a valley.
My first impression when I saw the view was that I am in a fair tale, so wonderful and enchanting the nature is. I am afraid that I couldn't express and reflect the magnificence of that place in my pictures. It would require a lot more time and work to do so.

A holly ground with Buddhist temples and buildings, a beautiful and unusual place. This place resides in Siberia, not far from Ulan-Ude city.

Spending a few days in the city Ulan-Ude and its beautiful surroundings allowed me to get some great photographs. Some of them are taken in a museum that is dedicated to the culture of the people that grown up with this land. The life there isn't easy but the nature is quite beautiful, so beautiful that I will publish later a couple of galleries with the photographs.

Well, I am home at last. So I will be reading my email and answering to the letters. And, of course, there are pictures to post. Most of them have been somewhat edited and prepared, but still require some work.
The trip was great and as usual it's a pity it has ended. There were a few mishaps with the transportation that could make you smile and beware of similar situations. So I will write a post about it in the next few days. But even such unfortunate events cannot cloud the great vacation I had.