so here is some fruits of procrastinating from studying…enjoy =)
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A work week of Pepper butts
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Three versions of Peppercorn and a Badger in Blue
I spent some time just working a picture of Peppercorn and I thought it would be interesting to upload all three. The first one is the original shot out of the camera. Since I shoot raw, I never mess with white balance — especially since I spend most of my time just figuring out my exposure since so few of my lenses meter on the camera.
The first attempt was to try a drastically horizontal and centered composition. I spent quite some time trying to get it balanced right, however, I think in the end, it still had a Pepper head floating against the carpet.
After taking a break, I took another stab at it and I think I am much happier with this. I realized that the colorful stuff in the background helps anchor the image in space and I think keeping it at a relatively normal aspect ratio kept it in the “photograph” realm as opposed to entering the “graphic design” realm (at which point I would need to do a lot more processing). I must add that shooting in RAW, while a bit heavy on hard disk space, gives you so much extra control over the post processing output that I unequivocally recommend it to anyone who plays with their shots after they upload it to their machine.
In general I do a lot of processing on the photos — sometimes the come straight out clean, but usually I do tweak a lot of little things here and there. For this photo, clearly more of a blurry composition, I did push the blues and I did push the highlights on Badger’s back as well as from the bottom corner. I’ve never really subscribed to the sanctity of the initial image — though I do try to avoid pushing things so far that they look like digital paintings (even if the photograph has been pushed and pulled a tremendous amount).
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SPECAIL
From the Golden Palace Supermarket in Bellaire.
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Some Haikus from the past week
skittering across the sink,
a cockroach
bronzed and tannedan early autumn breeze –
the sun rises
still damp of the summerBlack and white,
afternoon thunderstorms chasing a setting sunHe thought California was weak
“You ain’t living till its 80 and 80!”expectant eyes
twitching noses
hungry bunniesaccidentally dropped,
an apple disappears
under a frenzy of teeth and fur
So I took my first test this Thursday. So at least six more to go (hopefully not seven). Before entering the testing center, I took a moment to listen to Daft Punk getting all pumped up. The testing center shares the complex with a few medical offices, and as I sat there I saw a guy being transported on a gurney. I don’t think it was an emergency, but it sure put things in perspective…
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Ike + 51 weeks
It is amazing how quickly time flies! I’ve decided (yet again) to try to structure my time a little bit more and taking a cue from Dave Winer’s Blogpost Friday I will try to publish more regularly.
For this week I’m gonna wrap up one loose end from last year.As all us folks in Houston will likely remember, Hurricane Ike rolled through here 51 weeks ago and since this is the last Friday before the anniversary, I should finally publish a couple little ditties I had written during the two weeks of non-electricity.
In retrospect, I think that Ike and Post-Ike was a good time, a memorable moment in life. Even though two weeks of Houston summer without juice is more than plenty, it was an interesting time where we actually got to interact with our friends more and just enjoy life because there really wasn’t much else to do. Of course I write this as someone without a mortgage or kids to worry about, but at least for those without major responsibilities or debts, I think it was a good experience to go through.
The next forty-nine weeks have not been nearly as memorable, but it has been fairly stress free. The big events have been earning less (working 30 hours a week), getting a SLR, uploading an online portfolio, becoming LEED certified, road tripping through New Orleans, and getting a car. But hey, I can’t complain, I’m pretty happy and while I keep procrastinating on taking my ARE’s, I feel that my life is getting a little more orderly day by day.
Then again, I also turned thirty this past May so I guess its time to get moving along and start up the second half (post-education) part of my life. Honestly, I’m pretty relaxed and chill where I’m at, so I can’t say I’m particularly excited about shaking things up. But, I am also a bit restless and I would like to move forward a bit and hopefully by next September I will have made some serious progress and hopefully be in a more settled situation.
I’m reasonably content with chalking up the past twelve months as slow prep work that has given meme some ideas, tools, and skills that can help me push forward for the next few years. I have always been annoyed by the fact that life always seems to be just about preparing for the next stage of itself, but in this case, I guess it is one to view this past post Ike year in a positive light. So that’s how I’ll spin it. Its been fun to relax after grad school and dabble in various little hobbies. That stage is over, I guess it’s time to get moving.
Gray skies, slight drizzle,
a morning walk on quiet streets and uprooted trees.Silly Reporters
Stunned Pigeons
Soaked Cats
Pole Hugging Trees
I survIKEd!
Grizzlypear -
Macros using Extension tubes
I spent a little time putting together a website examining the magnification ratios that are possible with these extension tubes I just recieved from Hong Kong. These tubes don’t keep the aperture open before you shoot, but they’re ten bucks!
Check it out at photos.grizzlypear.com/macrotubes
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ProOptic 500mm f/6.3 Cadioptric Mirror Lens
500mm with its little buddies 
I just got my new mirror lens from Adorama on Friday and I spent a good amount of time messing around with it today, stalking some birds and feral cats that hang out in a local parking lot. For what its worth, I should preface that I have been messing around with a 50mm f/1.8 series E for the past couple weeks so I am pretty familiar with shooting in full manual without metering.
So here are some general thoughts. For a full review by Peter Kolonia check out popphoto.com.
Given that I had wanted a 500mm lens and didn’t want to pay big money for it, the Mirror Lens is the way to go. Basically, there is really only one common option (both new and used) – f/8.0. The only alternative is the ProOptic lens from Adorama with f/6.3 (fyi, these lenses come with only one f/stop) My question before purchasing the lens was whether the f/6.3 would be an unforgiving DOF (the manual says 1/2″ at 6′ close focus). After playing around, I agree it is a very thin and unforgiving DOF, but as someone who is used to shooting wide open at f/1.8, it really isn’t that thin!
What did surprise me was lens shake at 500mm. As such I think the extra speed of f/6.3 was WELL worth it. As someone spoiled by f/1.8, going to f/6.3 was a shock. Combined with the desire to keep the shutter speed near the focal length for hand held shooting, I was shooting at iso400 around noon on a sunny bright day. By the time the sun just started setting, I was at iso800.
I found focusing quite smooth. My only gripe with the lens is that I wish there was more barrel that did not rotate while focusing so that I could keep more of my hand supporting the lens while focusing.
People say that mirror lenses are small and unobtrusive. Well they must be speaking in relative terms because is this lens is definitely big enough to be noticed when walking around. It doesn’t help that ProOptic decided to paint the barrel white instead of black. Then again, I haven’t handled a real 500mm lens, but from what I see online, I don’t think you can even really “walk around” with those beasts!
Of course the big question with these lens are the bokeh rings. And I can attest that those mirror lens bokeh rings do really show up any time you give them a chance. But, if you just roll with it, you’ll survive — and even have some extra optical tricks to play with when you get tired of straight photography.
For $160 I think this is basically a no brainer if you have a little money and want to dabble in telephoto photography, as long as you don’t find the funny bokeh rings are as hideous as some people on photo forums like to exclaim.
The 80/20 rule definitely applies, – you get 80% of the function for 20% of the price of a full size 500mm lens.
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Felix
Apparently these guys were the ones who brought Tex-Mex to Houston. They were clearly not at their apex when I arrived. It was sad, but at least there was always someone at the restaurant.
They closed last April.
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One last shot
I love animals doing silly things. Or rather, things that look meaningless to us, especially when the moment is frozen in time and stripped of context.
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Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones! At the House Rabbit Society. I’m not sure how he’s doing, but he eventually moved in with Han Yu. Her website is http://www.bluerabbitstudio.com/gallery_illustrations.html
I get the impression she’s hasn’t updated her site in a LONG time, but there’s some really nice drawings there.
