The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 84

K2 The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, December 18, 1993 HOBBIES Are, ifoa. a Quiz IN CAMERA Wayne Cuddington Producing a portrait to please even Karsh ELECTRONIC GAMING Bill Provick Games made just for CD 1 IP; fj ft I TV- I) The common head and shoulders shot it's the most frequently used picture in the newspaper business. Some days we shoot so many it seems as though the world doesn't exist below the waist Usually these "portrait" assignments need no special treatment. A good, clean, technically correct image of an individual quoted is all that's needed. Often the picture runs in the paper about the size of a postage stamp, so taking a lot of time to produce just the right shot would be foolhardy.

However, once in a while, a "head-shot" assignment comes along that begs to have all the stops pulled out. Such was the case recently for Citizen photographer Paul Latour when singersongwriter Leonard Cohen was in town to promote his book. Cohen was to be photographed while he was being interviewed by entertainment columnist Jay Stone in a suite at the Westin Hotel. Once the assignment was given to the photo desk, a number of things took place that would result in the marvellous photos shown here. First, the interview would take place on a weekend when Latour, a fan of Leonard Cohen, was working.

Paul was able to organize his other assignments around the Cohen interview so that maximum effort could be exercised without distraction. Knowing this would be his only opportunity to photograph the celebrity, Latour wanted to make sure a quality image was captured. He decided to use the portable studio flash units we use at The Citizen rather than rely on natural light or the small Vivitar flash most of us use for the majority of our work. The studio flash is a Broncolor Impact system that consists of three, 400 wattsecond heads, a soft box, an umbrella and tripods. Paul arrived early with the help of fellow photographer Chris Mikula and arranged just two lights to point at Cohen's side and back.

Both flashes have modelling lights, making it easy COLLECTOR'S CORNER to see how the picture will look. Latour had Mikula sit in for Cohen so he could arrange lights and take readings before the singer arrived. What Paul now had was a mini studio ready to go when the star arrived. You know something is right when renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh calls to offer congratulations on a job well done. While on the subject of great portraits, the December issue of Vanity Fair has a stunning collection of photographs by Annie Leibovitz to accompany its 1993 Hall of Fame article.

In the issue's "Behind the Scenes" feature, we are given a glimpse into the making of the photographs and the hectic schedule Leibovitz maintained to meet the deadlines. Wayne Cuddington is a Citizen staff photographer. For questions and comments, write to Wayne Cuddington, The Citizen, 1101 Baxter Box 5020, Ottawa, K2C 3M4. NEXT WEEK: Amateur Astronomer Karen Murphy-Mackenzie K' v.V A collection of memories Tis the season of the CD. Christmas 1993 may well go down in history as the year computer games on CD-ROM finally arrived.

There have been computer games on CD for some time now, but too many were simply expanded versions of established games already released on floppy disk. This year, as CD-ROM drives appear on the brink of becoming standard features on home computers, the game makers have come through with an exciting batch of games designed specifically, and often exclusively, for CD. Certainly one of the most exciting new releases, just in time for the holiday buying season, is a CD-based game that probably couldn't, and doesn't, appear in any other medium. Rebel Assault by LucasArts is a super flight-combat game simulation that makes exceptional use of the graphics, sound and music capabilities of CD-ROM. Backed by John Williams' original score and stunning high-resolution graphics, it's like being drawn into a Star Wars movie.

Having seen but not played the game, yet, I can say that the first level, at least, looks like a faster Comanche Maximum Overkill but with better graphics, familiar settings and that great Star Wars style. This makes Rebel Assault the leading edge for this kind of game. Here are some more releases: The 7th Guest, another CD-only game, by Virgin Games, has been out for a while, but this haunted house puzzle solver with stunning graphics remains sought after. Horror fans can check out Dmcula Unleaslied, by Viacom, with its 90 minutes of video in over 150 different scenes. In Hell Cab, from Time Wamer Interactive, players taking a New York taxi to the airport are thrust back into prehistoric times, Rome during Nero's term and the battlefields of the First World War.

Fans cf the original Maniac Mansion should check out the wacky sequel, Day of the Tentacle. If you haven't played Maniac Mansion but enjoy whimsical problem-solving adventures, the CD version of Tentacle includes the original game. Role playing fans can find the entire World of Xeen on CD from New World Computing. For sci-fi adventure, there's Iron Helix by Spectrum Holobyte. Popular educational software on CD includes Dinosaur Adventure and Space Adventure by Knowledge Adventure Inc.

and Oceans Below by Software Toolworks. Sierra of course has four big-name releases for Christmas: the fourth Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness, the fourth Police Quest: Open Season, a new Leisure Suit Larry adventure, Shape Up Or Slip Out, and a brand new character in the darker mystery adventure Gabriel Knight: Sins of tlie Fathers. For fantasy adventure fans, there's Shadow Caster from Origin (with Pagan: Ultima VIII on its way) and Lands of Lore: Tlie Throne of Cliaos by Westwood Studios. Innocent Until Caught by Psygno-sis, BloodNet by Microprose and Spectre VR by Velocity are more modern adventures. For sports fans, there's Indy Car Racing by Papryus, the Diamond Edition of Hard Ball III by Accolade, which includes the player and diamond add-on disks, Tom Landry Strategic Football Deluxe Edition by Merit Software, NHL Hockey by Electronic Arts and a new golf course, Pebbly Beach for Links386 Pro by Access.

For high-tech combat, there's The Terminator: Rampage by Bethesda Softworks, Unnatural Selection by Maxis, Starship by Future Vision and Comanche: Over The Edge, a Comanche update that includes 40 new missions. For twisted humor, there's Sam And Max Hit The Road (LucasArts). And puzzle lovers prepare to be dazzled by the animated puzzle game Flix Mix by Celeris. Bill Provick is an assistant news editor specializing in technology. For comments or questions, call Bill through TOUCHLINE at 721-1990 and enter code GAME (4263).

or write to Bill Provick. The Citizen, 1101 Baxter Box 5020, Ottawa. K2C 3M4 Mixed bag 1. What long-range lA 1 7 German cannon 1 1 1 JL, was named for the wife of Gustav Krupp von Bohlen-Halbach? 2. Where would one find the Haversian canals? 3.

What actor played the part of Prewett in From Here to Etemit? 4. Who's autobiography is titled Seven Pillars of Wisdom? 5. What is the international radio code word for the letter 6. On what U.S. holiday is the Indy 500 run? 7.

What singer asked the musical question: "Who's sorry now?" 8. Who was the leader of the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece? 9. What is quicksilver? 10. What sport features snatches and clean jerks? Last week's answers: 1. Germany 2.

Abraham Lincoln's 3. The Mayflower 4. Valery Giscard D'Estaing 5. Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty 6. Archduke Francis Ferdinand 7.

A lost or overdue ship 8. Ronald Reagan 9. He committed suicide 10. PT 109 Test your trivia knowledge. Send answers to Quiz Whiz, J.C.

LaBrosse. The Citizen, 1101 Baxter Box 5020, Ottawa, K2C 3M4, or fax them to 726-1198. You could win a Quiz Whiz T-shirt. Entries must be received by Friday. This week's answers will run next week.

BIRD WATCHING Elizabeth Le Geyt Weather may affect count Although ice formed on rivers last weekend, milder temperatures during the week may encourage some birds to stay longer, which could result in an interesting Christmas count. Some ducks and gulls were still at Shirley's Bay. Bruce Di Labio found a female ruddy duck, a late record for Ottawa. The Christmas count is being held Sunday in a 12-kilometre radius of the Peace Tower. Anyone with a feeder in that area who would like to count the birds at them should call Elaine Dickson at 722-3050.

These observations, added to those compiled by birders in the field, will make for a good overall picture of the bird population in the Ottawa region. The Dunrobin count will be held Jan. 2. If you would like to participate, call Di Labio at 599-8733 in the evening. Peri McQuay, author of Wing in the Door, will be at the Wild Birds Nature Shop Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.

to autograph her book and talk to interested visitors. The book is a fascinating story of a female red-tailed hawk named Merak, which has been living with the McQuays on the conservation area on Foley Mountain near West-port. The family has been working with the bird to rehabilitate her and get her to become wild. Winter bird feeding has become popular and new operators will need help in identifying their visitors. Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies is great for beginners.

It concentrates on birds on this side of the country. The National Ceographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is the most up-to-date guide and includes recent changes made by the American Ornithological Union. Lavish coffee table books with excellent photographs of birds are available, as well as a number of tongue-in-cheek books about birders and advice about every facet of bird feeding and birding. Recent reports have centred around pine grosbeaks (Frank Gar-dell and Nettie Brunton). sharp-shimmed hawks (Gerald Roy in Cornwall), and a Cooper's hawk that caught a waxwing among a flock of hundreds (Norah Webster).

Doug Bailey in Blossom Park has a pair of pilcated woodpeckers coming three times a day to his fat feeder. There is another pair around the Jack Pine Trail seen by Tony Beck and Bill Petric. They also saw a raven there. The pine grosbeaks, pinicola en-ucleator. are here earlier than usual, perhaps because of the shortage of food further north.

The males have crimson heads, backs and breasts. Wings are dark grey with two white wingbars and the tail is dark. Females have dull yellow heads and rumps and the same wingbars and pale grey breasts. Immature males and some females have russet heads and rumps. They are plump, handsome birds with stubby, curved bills.

Like many of the northern birds they are quite tame and one can approach quite closely without alarming them. The grosbeaks here were on the ground eating fallen crab apples. There were young males with dark orange heads and two vibrant pink males. Some of them were eating the high bush cranberries, which are bright red and not too popular with other berry-eating birds. My number for reports and questions is 692-3076 The Wild Bird Care Centre for injured birds is at 82R2849.

Photos by Paul Latour, Citizen 7 A 4 my family to know what each bell is," says Pearce. "I hope they continue the tradition." At this, her daughter Valerie, 11. perks up. "I will," she says with a shy smile. "I like the bells." Collector's Corner: Do you have an unusual collection? Would you like to know more about sports cards or widgits? Every third week Collector's Corner will highlight different types of collecting.

Call in your suggestions to Anita Murray at 596-8433. You may even have the option of writing the column. NEXT WEEK: Coins on your list Endings: Chess Endings, Knowledge, Yuri Averbakh: Capcd)lanca's Best Endgames. Irving Cheniev. General Interest: Oxford Companion to Chess, Hooper and Whyld; Vie Complete Otess Addict, Fox and James.

Of course, this list is far from complete. The books are there, and there's something for everyone. The Chess Federation is at 2212 Gladwin Unit 733 2844). Deen Hergott is an international master living in the region. For questions and comments, write to Deen Hergott.

Chess Moves, co The Citizen, 1101 Baxter Box 5020. Ottawa, K2C 3M4 I v. i Photos by Wayne Hiebert. Citizen Diane Pearce, above, has a collection of bells that includes a Christmas bell, below left, ceramic pigs, centre, and a snowman yW.Hx When Diane Pearce looks at her bell collection, she sees more than pretty ornaments. "They're my memories," she says softly, touching the tops of some of the bells lined neatly along a shelf.

There's the bell that started her collection, bought 13 years ago at Santa's Village in Val David, Que. It's a bone china angel with dainty wings. "It reminded me of my baby, I guess that's why I bought it." She liked that first bell so much, she was soon buying others to mark similarly special occasions. And so, it seems, each bell is a reminder of a special time or person in Pearce's life. Some were gifts, some bought to mark special occasions, others heirloom pieces passed on to her as her collection grew.

There is paper bell made by her daughter, now 17, when she was in kindergarten and a brass bell with a wood handle, about 60 years old, that was her father's when he suffered from meningitis as a child. "He would ring it when he wanted something," Pearce explains. Through most of her collection of 200 bells, the family history unfolds. There are bells that commemorate Christmas, birthdays and family vacations. They range from porcelain, china and stoneware to lace, wood and brass.

The most expensive bell is a tiny hand-blown glass bell. The handle is a hummingbird, and its wings are tipped with gold. "It's a mostly sentimental collection," Pearce says. "Some bells are worth more than others, but I would never trade any of them." Pearce, who has never met anyone else who collects bells, says it's a collection she and her family can enjoy together. Her two daughters and her son help find bells, and her fai'ner made the shelves they're displayed on.

Pearce says she loves to look for bells everywhere, the more unusual the better. She and her family watch for them in stores of all types and at garage sales. Though she hasn't found any antique bells scouting around garage sales, she did find a rather unusual set of clay bells. Shapes suspended on a long string form an owl about, gives time taken for both sides, and allows take back At $222.95, it is deemed to be the best combination of power and price on the market. There's also a proliferation of chess software.

The Chessmaster 4000 Turbo (for Windows) offers great graphics, master strength, and a price of $64.95. It's IBM compatible (386 or better), and requires Windows 3.1 or higher. The Chess Federation offers a variety of chess sets, plastic and wood, from $10 to $150. It also has functional vinyl boards at $8.50 or beautiful imported wooden boards for $45 to $90 and a range of chess clocks, again plastic and wood, from $55 to $105. The largest percentage of the federa CHESS MOVES Deen Hergott when hung.

The feet are the clanger. "I also like the funny ones I like to laugh," says Pearce, picking up a wax bell that plays music when held to the light. Pearce's newest project is cataloguing her collection, something she has seen done during her work at the National Gallery of Canada. She numbers each bell, and in a corresponding chart, details where and when it was purchased, by whom, a brief description and any other special notes. "Someday when I'm gone, I want chess players tion's stock is books.

Most beginners or players who have not yet played in a tournament find most of the chess literature available rather daunting. There are some excellent books out there, even for the casual player, but trying to find them can be difficult. Here are my recommendations: Openings: Ideas Behind the Chess Openings. Reuben Fine (for beginners); BCO II. Keene and Kasparov (a comprehensive, one-volume reference for club players).

Middlegame, Treatises: Laskers Manual, Emmanuel Iasken My System (21st-century edition), Aron Nimmzo-vich: Modem Cliess Strategy, Ludek Pach- Last-minute gift ideas for the With a week to go until Christmas, now seems a good time to give some last-minute shopping advice. The Chess Federation of Canada is a good place to go for chess computers, equipment and books. There are other locations for chess paraphernalia such as Den For Men and Dufferin Games Room at Bayshore Shopping Mall, but if you're looking for variety, the federation is probably a better bet. It appears that the most popular dedicated (portable) computer is the Kasparov GK2000. It has an estimated rating of 2100 FIDE (International) and 64 playing levels, including Blitz, tournament and beginner.

Its LCD screen displays what the computer is thinking.