Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Elvis?

Fuji f30, 1/180, f5, ISO 1600, 113mm equiv. focal length. Slight crop in Picasa.
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1 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

cute!

i like the audience expressions in the background, especially the girls on the lower right.

--WT

Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 9:11:00 AM PDT  

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

Parade Watchers


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
Everyone was clamoring for a good vantage point.
--Warren

2 Comments:

Blogger Dolph Brust said...

What was the event? Reminds me of news photos from the late 1960's with protestors.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 1:32:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Warren T. said...

Dolph,

This was taken at the Chinese New Year Parade, which was the same night that I got the recent moon shots.

BTW, did you get any interesting pictures on your trip to San Diego?

--Warren

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 9:03:00 AM PDT  

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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

photo at starbucks

Taken with an Epson R-D1, with Hexanon 50/2 @ f2, 1/60, ISO 1600, cropped slightly.
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1 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

Cute candid. :) Some Asian girls have that habit of giggling with a hand over their mouth.

--WT

Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 7:59:00 AM PDT  

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Remembering the Moment


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
It was a gorgeous day. We were having a cup of latte in a North Beach bakery, sitting right next to the window. This was taken through the window and I don't think she realized or noticed that we were sitting so close to her.
Here is an excellent, interesting, and thought provoking mini-tutorial on street photography featuring photographer, Joel Meyerowitz: Click Here to go to the Video. I highly recommend viewing this because it will help you understand some of the techniques and philosophy behind this genre, even if you're not really into it. I enjoy making street photographs as part of my repertoire even though I don't concentrate on this genre exclusively like some people, how about you?
--Warren

5 Comments:

Blogger tedm said...

Interesting video Warren. I also like taking candid street photos, especially while sitting around having coffee.

I'll post one I took at a Millbrae sbux in a minute here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:19:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Benson said...

Very informative video. As much as I enjoy candid photos of friends and family, I don't feel very comfortable taking candid street photos. Maybe I feel it is an invasion of privacy but that is my own feeling on it. I don't think there is anything wrong with street candids, it's just outside of my comfort zone. Perhaps that's why I usually favor taking pictures of architecture and landscapes rather than portraits.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 2:07:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Lea said...

Hey, thanks for posting that video link Warren! Pretty interesting!!

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 6:16:00 PM PDT  
Blogger SteveR said...

TERRIFIC! video, Warren - thanks!

The photo/equipment geek in me couldn't help notice that he was using what looks like an M4 and a Weston Master V (or maybe Master VI) selenium light meter. I didn't have that Leica, but I used to have one of those meters, and I'll be darned if I know what happened to it - I loved it.

I'm not a street photographer, but this video gave me some great ideas to try out. I also liked Meyerowitz' personality in the film - a friendly & approachable New Yorker - I know many like that.

Thanks again!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 5:38:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Warren T. said...

It's possible to do street photography with a slr or dslr(I've done it), but it is often hard to go unnoticed when you're seen with a slr and big zoom lens. Just the other day while walking down Fillmore street, I was holding my Nikon D100 with the huge Sigma 15-30mm zoom by my side with one hand when a passerby noticed the camera and stopped me to ask me if it was a Canon dslr (Eeek! Canon?!). I wasn't even taking a picture with the rig, and it got noticed.

I enjoyed the Meyerowitz video because it reminded me of how interesting, challenging, and fun, this type of photography can be. I remember the time I took my Zorki 4 out to Chinatown to shoot an outdoor event. I was able to shoot pretty much unnoticed and ignored by everyone there, and I got into a sort of rhythm and flow that really gave me a feeling of freedom that really got the creative juices flowing.

--Warren

Friday, April 13, 2007 at 11:23:00 AM PDT  

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

DFW candy shop


This was taken on a layover at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. The airport there is huge with a lot of neat little shops. This was a fun-looking candy shop. Taken with the Panasonic FX3.

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

ooooooooooooooo :)
That's a great display of candy!!
Looks like some PEZ toys at the bottom shelves... I'd have to stop to check those out!

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 6:05:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Dolph Brust said...

Benson,

DFW is an airport that I don't mind traveling through because of these little shops. I shaw this shop about two weeks ago. Airports are always great places to watch people.

Dolph

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 1:24:00 AM PDT  

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Thrashers vs. Senators


When I was in Atlanta I attended an NHL game between the Atlanta Thrashers and Ottawa Senators. I'm not much of a hockey fan but it was very exciting to watch. Our seats were pretty high up in the stands but we had a clear view of the rink. I just cropped the shot slightly and brightened the image. Otherwise not much has been done to it. This was taken wth the Panasonic FX3.

2 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

Nice positioning of the players, and good timing on the player with the puck.

It seems like the FX3 has decently fast shutter response times?

--WT

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:48:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Benson said...

This particular shot was taken at 1/100 f/5. Not a fast shutter speed but I had my finger on the trigger waiting for a shot every time the players came down to my side of the rink. The FX3 will go to 1/2000. One drawback I forgot to mention on this camera is no manual controls. Cannot pick a shutter speed or aperture.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 2:14:00 PM PDT  

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Riding in the Clouds


Taken in an airplane on my way to Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. Flying above the clouds when there was a storm brewing beneath as the sun was setting. The day we arrived was the day the tornadoes hit Alabama and Georgia. Luckily we got in without any incident except for some turbulence as we approached Atlanta. We didn't find out about the storm until we landed. Taken with the Panasonic FX3.

1 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

Nice shot! For me, it brings back nice memories of our own plane rides during past vacations.

--WT

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:47:00 PM PDT  

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Tree in San Diego Balboa Park


This was an interesting tree in San Diego's Balboa Park when I was down there a few weeks ago. Taken with my new Panasonic FX3 P&S. Nice little camera, easy to carry around.

8 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

It's a nice, clear picture (and under difficult lighting conditions). Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? Lea? Just wondering...

Let's see some more shots from this camera, Benson. Or how about a mini-review too?

--WT

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 4:44:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Benson said...

The sign said it is a type of ficus tree. We have a ficus tree at home and it does not look anything like this.

Here is my short review of the Panasonic FX3:
I love the size of the camera. I got a little case for it and it hooks onto my belt like a PDA/cell phone. That's why I got the camera. I was looking for something really small, not too expensive, but took clear pictures. I was looking to supplement my Nikon D70 or even replace it when I don't feel like lugging around a DSLR. It used to be a "Dave's Pick" at http://www.imaging-resource.com/ but looking today it is not listed anymore. It is a discontinued camera now. For the price, I don't think it can be beat for the camera size and quality of pictures. I thought about a Canon SD series or Nikon L series (which uses AA batteries, great for traveling) but the Panasonic seemed like the best bet.

From what I've read online, Panasonic is rumored to make the digital cameras for Leica. The Panasonic branded cameras have super sharp Leica lenses. The camera is capable of ISO 1600 but I have found any ISO above 100 will result in a lot of noise in the image. I think the higher end LX3 is better in this respect but is also more than double the price and a little bulkier. I just keep the camera at ISO 100. In low light situations the flash is not strong enough to brighten subjects more than 5 feet away (at ISO 100) but it takes really nice shots when there is adequate lighting. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 10:05:00 PM PDT  
Blogger tedm said...

Nice photo Benson, I like photos of interesting trees, and also took some this weekend.

Also like your photo of clouds while flying. I have a sequence of these on my smugmug site - matsumura.smugmug.com and hopefully will get to editing a couple and posting here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:17:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Warren T. said...

Hi Benson,

Thanks for the mini-review of the FX3. I know that you got a great deal at Costco on this camera. How much did you end up paying for it?

The pictures from the FX3 look very good.

--Warren

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:45:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Benson said...

I'm happy with the camera. I'd be even happier if it took better pictures in low light situations.

Camera is now $180 at Costco (same price I paid with a coupon about a month ago). Was $220 but now there is a $40 instant rebate since it is a discontinued model. Saw it last night when we were there.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 1:54:00 PM PDT  
Blogger tedm said...

Hi Benson, I also like Panasonic cameras. I have an old FZ3 with "Leica" lens and it takes great photos, though it's quite dated with it's 3MP sensor.

About 6 months ago I was shopping for P&S's, and looked hard at the FX01, FX8/9, as I really liked the 28mm wideness end of their zooms.

However, from all the samples and reviews I checked, it appeared they were quite noisy above ISO 200 or so, while the Fuji F30, had pretty good images at high ISO's.

I'm glad I got the F30, since carrying it around, there have now been several times I've found myself in a dark indoor setting, or just after dark, and even with my DSLR and film cameras, I can't get images like I can with the F30 @ 1600 or 3200. It's really been a lifesaver.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 2:50:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Lea said...

Sorry, don't know much about ficus trees.. But with a quick Google search I learned a few things. Most ficus trees are evergreens (they don't lose their leaves throughout the year), probably because they're mostly found in the tropical areas of the globe. And because of their humidity demands, they are also apparently hard to grow.. That, and they grow figs!

They also seemed to have served as inspirational trees for J.R.R Tolkein's fictional race of Ents from Middle-Earth :)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 6:54:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Warren T. said...

Benson,

Looking at the specs, the FX3 has a max aperture of f2.8, which when coupled with the built-in image stabilization, should allow you to take some decent low/existing light shots at ISO 100 or 200. Have you experimented with this at all (non-flash, existing light shots at low ISO (200 or so)? If so, how did those shots turn out.

FWIW, I've been very impress by Ted's high-ISO shots from his Fuji F30.

--WT

Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 8:09:00 AM PDT  

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Simon in the Sunbeam


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
--WT

3 Comments:

Blogger Benson said...

A nice dramatic shot of Simon in the sun. Would be an interesting album cover, I seem to remember seeing something like this before, maybe not with a cat but with a spotlight shining diagonally onto the subject (a cartoon figure?). I would have liked a shallower depth of field so the background doesn't show up as much.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 3:18:00 PM PDT  
Blogger tedm said...

I like this a lot. The shadow of the body of the cat is interesting, no head features, just a long cylinder shape from the cat's body.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 5:28:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Dolph Brust said...

Ted beat me to the comments. Nice use of the shadows and the lines compared to Simon's body adds contrast. Very nice shot.

Dolph

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 1:27:00 AM PDT  

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View of Bay from Telegraph Hill at Night


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
Not the greatest shot technically, but the view was too nice that night not to share this here. :)
Since I had no tripod with me, I placed the camera on top of a steep flight of stairs on Vallejo street and braced it with my hands while taking the shot.
--Warren

3 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

The moon masked in clouds and the bare tree on the left make me feel like I should be looking for a werewolf in the pic too ;)

Maybe it's just me but it has a creepy feel to it. (But that's not to be confused as a bad thing. Your photo does a great job of giving me goosebumps!!)

Great pic!

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 3:32:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Eric said...

That's a nice photo, Warren. The moon gives it an slight spooky feel - like the Zodiac is still out there.

Eric

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 5:12:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Dolph Brust said...

Great Shot! This communicates the romantic vision of the Bay Area at night, and one of great things about a great city. Thanks for this shot.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 1:30:00 AM PDT  

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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Tomatoes


Got a shot of some cherry tomatoes while preparing dinner a while back. There were a very bright orange/red and were really sweet!
Eric

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

Patterns! Vibrant, healthy.. Awesome!

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 3:25:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Eric said...

Thx, but now that I look at the photo again, I could've made it clearer. Man, I need stronger glasses.

Eric

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 5:11:00 PM PDT  

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In Toronto




Huge chocolate bar ad. mmmmmmm

I was about to join the people up there digging in.. hehe

4 Comments:

Blogger Eric said...

This is an interesting shot, Lea. Where was it taken? In Toronto?

Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 3:06:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Warren T. said...

i suddenly have a chocolate craving :P.

--WT

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 8:13:00 AM PDT  
Blogger Lea said...

Yeah it's from Toronto -- Downtown @ Yonge&Dundas. I was there for the morning with my sis. We were both surprised at the remarkable "real-ness" that this delicious advertisement has :)

And the people on it is a pretty cool idea too ;)

Monday, March 12, 2007 at 3:17:00 PM PDT  
Blogger Benson said...

That's a really funny billboard. Thanks for sharing.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 3:14:00 PM PDT  

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Wednesday, March 07, 2007

The View on a Clear Day

A stitched series of photos on a clear day last week.

5 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

Wow, that's a really good stitch job :) How many photos was it?

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 4:20:00 PM PST  
Blogger martin said...

Thirteen frames stitched with the Canon stitch software and then adjusted in Photoshop. The small size on blogger does not how nice it really is. I spent more time doing the post production than the actual shooting.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 5:42:00 PM PST  
Blogger Warren T. said...

It looks great, Martin!

Are you going to make a print of it? It would be cool to display framed print of it. :)

--WT

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 5:45:00 PM PST  
Blogger martin said...

I printed 4x6s of this and taped them together. Final size is 4 by 45 inches. I don't think I can afford to by a frame.

Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 3:41:00 PM PST  
Blogger Lea said...

Yeah, I'd imagine you'd have to custom frame a pic of that size ;)

Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 1:40:00 PM PDT  

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Monday, March 05, 2007

Red Moon Rising over Broadway


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
This night (March 3rd, 2007) was the night of the total lunar eclipse. I had forgotten about this until I saw the moon rising over Broadway street the other night. We just turned the corner onto Broadway from Columbus when I looked down the street and saw the huge moon rising behind the Bay Bridge. I braced the camera and myself on a street sign pole to take this shot.
--Warren

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

Cool shot! Very different :)

Monday, March 5, 2007 at 5:15:00 PM PST  
Blogger Eric said...

Hey, this is cool. I like the effect the cars play in the photo. It offsets the moon (I think offset is the right word).

Eric

Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 10:21:00 AM PST  

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Sunday, March 04, 2007

Chinatown Mob Scene


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
Was anyone else in Chinatown yesterday? This was the scene at Grant Aveue a few hours before the start of the Chinese New Year parade. It seemed like there were more people than last year, maybe because of the great weather yesterday.
--Warren

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

Wow, it looks pretty packed!! I like the row of tent tops. It gives this busy scene some structure, and leads the viewer to into the crowd. Nice pic!

Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 6:26:00 PM PST  
Blogger Eric said...

Good photo, Warren. Looks like Hong Kong actually. Though it was a good shot, it's exactly the reason why I wasn't there. I'd go nuts!

Eric

Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 9:05:00 PM PST  

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Saturday, March 03, 2007

Sailboats Off Princeton, CA


I took this photo off of Princeton, CA a couple of weeks back. It was at dusk and I took the original in color. It was a deep shades of blue and purple. I thought it looked better in black and white.
Eric

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

It's very suitable for black & white. At first I didn't even realize that it wasn't even colour... too interested in all those birds! Great shot Eric :)

Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 6:20:00 PM PST  
Blogger Eric said...

Thank you, Lea. I thought that black & white gave a better feeling of either loneliness or quiet.

Eric

Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 9:04:00 PM PST  

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Friday, March 02, 2007

Simon #2


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
Here's a little wider shot of Simon :).
--Warren

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Simon


Nikon D100, Tamron 24-135mm
Meet Simon, Nikka's baby brother. Remember Nikka? We're babysitting her and Simon this weekend.
If you don't remember Nikka, you can use the Blogger search function to find my previous Nikka posts very easily.
--Warren

2 Comments:

Blogger Lea said...

awww kitty sibs :)
They both have that white nose thing going on!

Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 4:57:00 AM PST  
Blogger Eric said...

Looks like ol' Simon's gonna jump out and get me. Good shot.

Eric

Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 8:15:00 PM PST  

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

City Hall


There is a nice little skating rink outside city hall here.

oooo that's good clean ice!

4 Comments:

Blogger Warren T. said...

Smooth ice!

The zamboni guy spotted you taking his picture :).

--WT

Friday, March 2, 2007 at 3:36:00 PM PST  
Blogger Lea said...

hehe, yes he did indeed and has a slightly curious look to him. ..Probably wondering why am I taking his picture haha

Friday, March 2, 2007 at 4:47:00 PM PST  
Blogger Eric said...

Ah yes, the ol' zamboni machine. Saw a lot of those in my more youthful days skating in New England. The zamboni guy was probably thinking that you busted him doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. ;)

Eric

Friday, March 2, 2007 at 9:35:00 PM PST  
Blogger Lea said...

lol. The ice will be cleaned to perfection for a few days then :D

Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 5:05:00 AM PST  

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