craniac’s place

Who is craniac?

My name is Steve Crane but craniac is the alias I use most around the net. If I sign up to a service and the name craniac has been taken, I try to use strandloper. My Flickr account, for instance was created under that alias.

I am forty-something and live in Strand, near Cape Town in South Africa with my wife and two teenaged sons. I work as a programmer, developing software on the Windows platform. At home I prefer to use Linux but also use Windows as some of the software I use for processing photographs is not available for Linux. My younger son is also a gaming nut and of course most of the games he wants to play run on Windows.

I am a keen amateur photographer and will be posting selected images from my photo stream here. You can see the rest of my stream here. Besides photography I enjoy reading but don’t always have as much time to read as I like. I enjoy many forms of music although my tastes lean towards the rock end of the spectrum. When I can motivate myself to overcome my laziness I enjoy cycling.

Linux registered user #92591 Utata

23 Comments

23 responses so far ↓

  • Anton // 22 September 2006 at 22:28

    Thanks for showing me flickr. Check my gallery of the vereniging airshow.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/78807423@N00/sets/72157594295370679/

    Anton

  • Richard // 15 October 2006 at 20:34

    Hello Steve,

    Most impressed with the photography. Didn’t realise that you are an aviation nut!

    Regards

  • Retief de Villiers // 17 October 2006 at 20:27

    Hi Steve

    I refer to your photograph of the “Missing man” formation done by the Lightings on Flickr. I happened to capture the same formation on the Saturday of the Airshow at Ysterplaat by the Silver Falcons. My album is at http://retiefdevilliers.fotopic.net

    Regards
    Retief

  • diana martin // 30 December 2006 at 6:06

    Hi Steve,

    Nice shots. I’m a photog in canada and was looking for a guitar I saw that is made in Cape Town. You have a shot of it, from there I meandered into your site to check out the images. Nice stuff. The Green and Milky had me messed up for a moment. I thought it was some crazy aerial. sweet.

    Anyway, the Gas Can guitar man…who makes those Guitars?? I’m trying to get my hands on one and can’t find a reference to it anywhere on the net. I missed who actually makes them.

    Best,
    diana

  • Steve Crane // 30 December 2006 at 12:44

    Hi Diana,

    Thanks for the comments on my photos. Yes, Green & Milky does mess with your mind a bit. Do you have a site where I can see your photos?

    The guitars are made in Cape Town by Afri-Can Guitars. Their web site is at http://www.african-guitars.com and there is also a US based site at http://www.africanguitarsusa.com.

  • Steve // 15 April 2007 at 19:02

    Do you have a brother Benedict?

  • Steve Crane // 19 April 2007 at 12:18

    No, I have no siblings.

  • Ian van Niekerk // 7 June 2007 at 15:02

    Hi Steve,

    With reference to your pic “Tim & Fiona at an Asylum Kids concert in the GR Bozzoli pavilion at Wits University, some time during 1981″.

    Did you at all take pictures of that concert or the venue? I am busy with a project on the A Kids, and those times in general, and am looking for material.

    Many thanx, Ian

  • Dennis Van Heerden // 16 June 2007 at 6:28

    Hi Steven

    Old school buddy who came across you website by chance. Left my email,contact us.

    Cheers

    Dennis

  • Marlon // 17 October 2007 at 11:04

    Hi Steve,

    Wish I knew all this about you when we met. Also a Linux user at home/work, unfortunately no windows at all, so I do all photo processing via Linux. Keep it up

    Marlon

  • Steve Crane // 17 October 2007 at 11:49

    Marlon, this info is a bit out of date in terms of Linux use. Although I do still have a dual boot machine at home I mostly use Windows now. Since I started shooting in RAW it became easier to use Windows apps for photo processing. I currently use Lightroom and am unlikely to swap that for anything under Linux. I should probably consider running my Windows photo apps via a virtual machine in Linux, then I can get the best of both worlds.

  • Bonnie // 19 October 2007 at 10:34

    Hello Steve.
    I found your blog and flickr account this morning , after doing a google search for “Helderberg Fire”.I live in Somerset West-near the medi clinic, so thankfully a bit away from it, I saw the fire last night on my way home and took a drive to Helderberg College for a closer look, I could not believe my eyes. I am really concerned about the house and people living in that area. Your photos are beautiful. I too love photography, mostly nature and flowers. I post a lot of them on my blog. I am happy to have found a fellow South African, as I mostly come into contact with others from the UK, Germany, USA. (my blog is mostly about Digital scrapbooking but I post about this and that and share my photos too.). Take care. Bonnie

  • Gareth // 21 October 2007 at 20:37

    Hi Steve

    Just want to compliment you on some really amazing photos. I was just curios to know what camera you use to take your photos.

  • Steve Crane // 21 October 2007 at 21:00

    Thanks Gareth. I have used a number of different cameras. The bulk of my photos were taken with a Canon EOS 300D digital SLR, but I have now replaced that with a Canon EOS 30D. Other shots were taken with compact digital cameras and a few even with my classic 35mm film cameras.

    But of course the camera is irrelevant. A good photographer will deliver good images with any camera and a poor photographer will not deliver good images, even with the best camera available.

  • Gareth // 22 October 2007 at 13:26

    Haha, ja no for sure. I agree with you there. I’m just always interested to hear what cameras people use for their shots. ‘Cause some shots are impossible with certain cameras. Things like long exposure photos.

    All compliments to the photographer :)

  • Clifford // 30 October 2007 at 10:39

    Hi Steve,

    My sister is wanting to use your photo of the Strand Tidal Pool in a magazine article. Do you allow that sort of thing?

    Regards
    Cliff

  • Steve Crane // 30 October 2007 at 10:50

    Cliff, I have mailed you.

  • Brent Danley // 8 November 2007 at 8:13

    We have a lot in common. I enjoyed looking through your blog. Of course, I always enjoy your Flickr photostream!

  • Steve Crane // 8 November 2007 at 8:24

    Thanks Brent.

  • Stefano // 4 January 2008 at 17:49

    Hi Steve,
    I used an image from your site for my blog: I hope it’s not a problem!
    Best wishes,

    Stefano

  • Steve Crane // 4 January 2008 at 20:34

    No problem Stefano. I don’t know where that particular image comes from. It was one of those funny things that get sent around by e-mail.

  • Stefano // 5 January 2008 at 2:38

    Thanks so much! I visited South Africa, Cape Town (and Green Point Stadium) for my newspaper, il Manifesto, last november, and I falled in love! I hope and come back soon with my wife and my girls.
    See you.

  • Stefano // 9 January 2008 at 17:48

    Oh, South Africa 2010 blog on GQonline is mine, too! Sorry, I forgot to say it to you…

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