I’ve tried recently to add images to my blog posts whenever possible. They enrich the post and add value to the reader.
My problem is that I don’t have much time to fool around with the images. The current procedure for having a photo in my blog is the following:
- Take a picture with one of my cameras
- Transfer the picture to my laptop using memory card adapter
- Open the picture in Photoshop
- Crop and resize the image
- Correct colours and sharpen the image
- Save the image for web
- Upload the image to WordPress
- Attach the image to an article
Has somebody better way of doing this? Any technical aids that would do good? If somebody is willing to write a Photoshop export plug-in for saving images to WordPress, I’d be willing to beta test it.
Jurys Washington Hotel is a comfortable business hotel at the Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. The rooms are big and clean, the bed is big and comfy (not too soft) and the hotel offers free broanband Internet connection. And all this less than $100. I have to admit that it was a special offer and the price was before taxes…
The hotel is located near the subway station, so you can access the capital city with ease. The neighbourhood is quite lively, with cafés, bars, bookshops and fashion stores spread around.
www.jurys-washingtondc-hotels.com, 1500 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC, +1 202 483 6000
Prada Epicenter in SoHo is one-of-a-kind shopping experience. The shop itself is an architectural gem and the garments are just adorable. Prepare to find a lot of black, exclusive sneakers, tower-like high heel shoes and boots, and a good selection of handbags, wallets and travel gear.
I have found Prada sneakers to be one of the most comfortable shoes for my feet. A couple of my friends say the same. Check them out.
The only bad thing is the pricetag. The shop, as Prada in general, is not for cheapskates. Prepare to pay more than $100 for almost anything and more than $1000 for the top-notch garments. Shoes and boots are $250-500.
575 Broadway, New York, NY, +1 212 334 8888
At the corner of Broadway and Prince Street. The place used to host Guggenheim SoHo.
…as you might get it. I was happy with the first snow a couple of days ago. Yesterday, we got 20cm more!
Saturday dawned as a nice day, sun was shining and I was pondering on taking my bigger camera to the city to take some photos. During the breakfast the sky was obscured and I changed my preferences to smaller camera, suitable for taking a couple pictures in shops for reviews…
The downpour started an hour after we got to the city centre. It felt like the sky was ripped apart and everything was falling upon us! We stopped shopping and Sanna headed back home. I had to go to meet a client in suburbs, so I had to sustain the weather for a little longer. Fortunately I had good jacket with hood, so I didn’t get wet.
I got a couple of nice shots with Canon:
Now I’m wondering how on earth I can ride my bike to work tomorrow? The buses are still on strike and I don’t have any other way of getting there, except taxis. And, of course, I have to be there quarter past eight in the morning. My bad.
Moko stocks everything and between for furnishing your home in Asian or traditional style. The place is fully loaded with small items, for example, statues of Buddhas, wooden Christmas pigs and candles. Ask the clerks for any Finnish specialties and make your friends envy.
The design is not traditional Finnish, but the experience may be refreshing after visiting so many design shops with coolish, functional items only.
If you are friend of Bauhaus or other modern approach to interiors, don’t bother visiting. You’ll just get your eyes sorrow.
www.moko.fi, Bulevardi 1, Helsinki, +358 9 4150 4555, moko@moko.fi
Vanha Kauppahalli (The Old Market Hall) is a collection of small shops and cafes near Kauppatori in Helsinki center. There are specialty meat and fish shops, a kitchen utensils stall, wine boutique, chocolatiere and a few cafes and stalls selling snack food.
The ambience of the place is something that cannot be easily described. The corridors are packed with people, locals and tourists alike, and the stalls are full of exciting products.
You can buy reindeer, elk and other game from Vanha Kauppahalli. There is also a good selection of Finnish fish available. The place is tourist friendly and a lot of products are available in cans or vacuum packages. As shops are small, they have somewhat heftier pricetags compared to department stores, but the gap is not huge.
www.wanhakauppahalli.com, Eteläranta (near the market square Kauppatori), Helsinki
Helsinki was covered in snow a couple of days earlier. I didn’t really notice that this was the first snow in this winter, until a few minutes ago while coming back from the local grocery store.
The air has been crisp for half of the week now, the temperature has been below zero centigrades. There hasn’t been much wind, and the views in my journey to job and back have been magnificent. Imagine: the ground is white, the sea is still and the rising sun colours everything to yellow and red. The blue sky and the Keilaniemi towers are reflected from the mirrorlike sea. When I ride back home, the sky is already darkened and the biking path is illuminated with small lamps — the towers are now full of small light squares, and the sea is once again reflecting them. The water moves a bit, so the reflection is not perfect and this just adds to the feeling.
Too bad that I can’t carry my big camera with me. On the other hand, I couldn’t most probably catch the magic — I’m not that good photographer.
Duke’s Deli is a collection of small, seemingly individual caterers that provide salads, snacks, Chinese food, sushi, pasta and a wide variety of other foods.
You pick up your food and drinks from any stall you like, and then pay to the cashier. There are some seats available inside the place, but everything can be taken to go, too.
The price quality ratio is good, the portions are big enough and the taste is ok. Service is fast, but blunt. Sushi is excellent and surprisingly inexpensive choice.
There are also some Internet stations.
Duke’s Deli, Broadway, between Prince and Spring, New York, NY
