建立數碼黑房。 Build a digital darkroom.

建立數碼黑房的第一步，當然是購買電腦；而選購前最重要的決定，是採用 Windows 還是 Mac 的作業系統。以往我用 Windows，但自從幾年前買了部 MacBook 和 iPod Touch 後，便不能自拔，雖然沒有用作數碼黑房，但也有用作簡單的影片剪輯。不錯，過去 Apple 的優點經常給人跨大了，但不能否認，如僅用作數碼黑房，Mac OS 天生始終優於 Windows，硬件價格與 Windows 的差異也不斷收窄。是時候轉用 Apple 了。

決定了是 Mac 後，緊接的問題是，iMac 或 MacPro？ 我同意 Lloyd Chambers 說 iMac 不能擴充，但我不是專業攝影師，操作數碼黑房時，不會追求頂級的速度，我可以接受外置硬碟作備份的速度，所以還是選外表較漂亮的 iMac。

Apple 今天 (7月27日) 剛公布 新一代的 iMacs，有雙核 dual-core Core i3 和 i5，也有四核 quad-core Core i5 和 i7. 雙核處理器的速度達 3.6GHz，四核是 2.93GHz。所有 iMac 都有獨立 ATI Radeon HD GPUs，由 256MB 4670 至是高的 1GB 5750。RAM 起碼有 4GB。可選擇 256GB SSD 作為第一或第二硬碟。

You must buy a computer before you can build a digital darkroom. An obvious question is: Windows or Mac OS? I have been using Windows for years, but I think I am converting to Mac. I have been using a MacBook and iPad Touch for a few years for editing video clips and other things not relating to photography. It's time for me to start afresh with a new system to manage my collection of millions of images. It's the time to switch wholly to Mac.

The next question is: iMac or Mac Pro? I fully agree with Lloyd Chambers that iMac is a dead-end machine, but speed is not my main concern as I am not a professional photographer. I don't have customers' deadline to meet. MacPro accepts 4 internal drives, but external drives are perfectly acceptable to me. Hence, I'll buy the eye-appealing iMac.

Apple today (27 July) announced an updated line of iMacs. The new series offer dual-core Core i3, i5, quad-core Core i5 or i7. Dual-core CPUs are now rated up to 3.6GHz, whereas quad-core speeds to 2.93GHz. All systems now use dedicated ATI Radeon HD GPUs, from 256MB 4670 to 1GB 5750 at the peak. RAM on each system is 4GB by default. New is the option of a 256GB SSD as a primary or secondary drive.

這是一個怎麼樣的網誌？ What is this blog?

我喜愛攝影，因為這是歌頌天父創造的最直接方式。攝影的內容不論是人物、動物、大自然、建築物或抽象的顏色和光暗，無一不是上帝直接或間接的創造。

網上已有數之不盡的攝影網誌，為甚麼還要再設一個？原因很簡單，我找不到百份百合自己心意的攝影網誌，不論中、英文也沒有，相信與我有相同要求的人很多，所以便自創一個中英雙語的攝影網誌，公諸同好。甚麼攝影網誌才算合心意呢？以下是我的要求：

• 要對攝影認真，像 Thom Hogan ，但本網誌不是 Thom Hogan，我不會像他一樣，寫相機指南或舉辦攝影班，也不會像他專寫單一牌子器材。
• 要喜愛攝影，而不是只喜愛攝影器材。正如 Ken Rockwell 所說，拍攝磚牆不是攝影；本網誌是寫給 "第七級" 的藝術家，或現仍在 "第五級" 、但有志晉升 "第七級" 的業餘攝影愛好者看的。
• 雖然不愛沉迷攝影器材，但仍然要關心攝影器材和軟件。我不會像 Dpreview 般，深入研究器材的性能。Dpreview 已做的詳盡測試，我不會重複，但我會分享我實際使用某些攝影器材和軟件後的體驗，好讓大家參考。

I love photography, one of the most straightforward ways to praise God. Every thing can become a subject of photography—people, animals, landscape, architecture, or even abstract colour and light, all being His creation, directly or otherwise.

There are tons of photography blogs around. Why should I add one more? Simply I fail to find one that suits me fine, so I try to create a bilingual one to fill the gap and share with my buddies. What would suit me fine? Here are a few requirements:

• I'm serious about photography, like Thom Hogan. But I am not trying to replicate his site here. I won't write camera guides or organize workshops, nor will I write about a single brand.
• I love photography, not photographic equipment. As Ken Rockwell says, only losers spend their time photographing brick walls. This blog is written for "the seventh level artists", or the "fifth level amateurs of pure spirit" who wish to transcend to the seventh level.
• Although I am not obsessive about photographic equipment and software, I am concerned about them. This blog is not Dpreview, where you will find meticulous tests that I won't do. I'll instead share my experience gained in the field.