Issue 3
Volume 7
Web Resources on Digital Photography via Oregon State
Power Up Your Presentations
Grammar Trap: Weather vs. Whether
Web Resources on Digital Photography via Oregon State
While looking for new ideas, technologies, and resources to help me with my work in Ag Comm's Exhibit Center, I came across this article from Oregon State Extension and Experiment Station’s newsletter, "Communicate." I found the annotated list of Web sites so helpful that I asked for permission to publish it here. I got it.
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Web Sites Illuminate Digital Photography By Bob Rost
Looking for information on digital cameras and digital photography? If you've checked the Web, you will know that there are many, many digital photo sites to choose from. Here are five that I've found informative and useful.
The Image Resource
* This site offers a wealth of information on printers, scanners, and
software and includes loads of "how-to" tips for taking better
digital
pictures.
Digital Camera Resource Page
* The authors of this Web site state that dcresource.com is "designed
to be an unofficial (which I take to mean independent) information resource
for current or future owners of digital cameras." You'll find reviews
for many brands of digital cameras and some digital photo galleries.
Pcphotoreview
* This Web site offers reviews on just about every product having to do
with digital photography.
Lonestardigital.com
* An on-line digital photography magazine offering an extensive list of
links to other digital photo sites of all types.
I hope you find this article and the Web sites it mentions as helpful as I did.
Power Up Your Presentations
Recently, I've heard several people say "I'd like to use PowerPoint, but I don't have a mobile computer and projector."
Don't despair, Oh immobile ones. If you're preparing a talk, PowerPoint is a tool to generate presentations as well as project them.
Using PowerPoint helps you make better visuals for traditional overhead projectors. The PowerPoint templates guide you to use larger and more consistent type styles and color, and it's easy to insert clip art for illustrations.
Also, PowerPoint handouts are usually superior to handouts produced with a word processor or copied from another source.
If you use PowerPoint to produce overhead transparencies on acetate, keep these things in mind.
Background Color Choice
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Use lighter background colors, but don't go so far as to use a white background. That might be too glaring. Light blue or green is easier on the viewer's eyes than white, especially with older overhead projectors.
With a light background, black type is great. If your type and background colors are too close, you create problems for people who have trouble distinguishing colors.
Type Size
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Use 40-point type for headlines and 36-point type for text. Don't go
below 28- to 32-point type, even if tempted to do so in order to fit more
words on the screen. Fight the temptation. Your overheads should not reproduce
what you have to say, they should highlight it. Put key
words on the screen, and leave the rest to your talk.
Printing the Overheads
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If you have a color printer or copier that accepts overhead transparencies,
you're in luck. If not, you can check with a commercial printer. But this
might be expensive (as much as $1 per overhead). If
you only have a black and white printer (or copier) that handles acetates,
go ahead and print your presentation. Even in black and white, a well-designed
PowerPoint presentation looks fine.
To spruce up a black and white presentation, produce one color background
slide, and leave it on the overhead projector throughout your presentation.
Then, place your text slides on top of it. You may have to experiment
to get the effect you want, but this is an economical way to
get color.
And remember, you can put a color logo on your single color overhead as long as you make sure the logo doesn't interfere with your text messages.
For more information on PowerPoint, visit the AgIS
Web site, Click on Support and
Training, and then on Tips. Also, visit my "Marketing
Purdue Extension"
Web site.
Grammar Trap: Weather vs. Whether
"Weather" and "whether" are homonyms (for you sticklers, homophones). These words sound the same, but they have different spellings and different meanings. Homonyms and homophones give some people pause and some people (many for whom English is a second language) fits.
"Weather" is a noun meaning the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, wind, humidity, etc.
Examples: I missed the weather report this morning. The winter weather has returned for the first day of spring.
"Whether" is a conjunction that links alternatives.
Examples: I can't decide whether or not to go to work today. He doesn't know whether he's coming or going.
Tip: "Whether" involves alternatives. Which one to choose? Remember that "whether" and "which" both start with "wh."
More on Homonyms: Go to "Alan Cooper's All About Homonyms" for a playful discussion and access to a homonym list and to "Self-Study Homonym Quizzes" for help if English is your second language.
Do you have a grammar (or usage) trap you'd like to see discussed? Do you have a tip that will help the rest of us avoid one? If so, please let me know.
Visit http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/ontarget/grammartrap/ for past "Grammar Traps."
