Via Flickr:
Happy Halloween!!
Punkin (#P365-304) #photography
Posted by Steve
on October 31, 2013
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Hydrant (#P365-303) #Photography
Posted by Steve
on October 30, 2013
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Via Flickr:
Went back and forth on a few ideas today that just didn’t work out. Asked a friend what I should shoot and he said "Fire Hydrant". Well, that’s not the first thing he said, but that’s the one I went with.
Gadget Review: Surface Pro 2
Posted by Steve
on October 30, 2013
2 comments
Ok so one of the benefits of finding a job again is that I have income again! Which means I can afford to get some of the things that have been needing a refresh. My laptop, for instance, is my main system that I do most of my photo processing and ….pretty much everything else on. It’s an Asus republic of gamers behemoth laptop that I bought back in 2009. (hey, in computer years, that’s ancient!) It’s served me very well and I still use it for all sorts of home use. The problem with it is that it’s giant. Yeah I know it’s a laptop, but it’s big. Way too big to actually take places and be mobile. I have been planning to replace it as a home system with a full desktop that I can update as needed for gaming and general home use, but that means I still needed a laptop.
Today’s tech trends seem to be leaning towards the tablet types, and I love my iPad for it’s portability and ease of use…but I can’t run Lightroom on it. Yes, I know I can process pictures on it, to an extent, but I can’t really do all of the things LightRoom allows me to do. So running native Windows apps was very important to me, but I liked the idea of a portable tablet.
Enter the Surface Pro 2
I wish Microsoft knew how to market this device. It really is an amazing piece of tech, but it’s just not getting the market share it deserves. For starters, it’s not an iPad replacement. I still use my iPad all the time for general browsing at the couch or in bed. The iPad is lighter and much simpler to navigate. (Not to say that Windows 8 is complex, it’s just different, and I bet it would be easy to adjust). No, the Surface is a laptop replacement. Plain and simple. You can use it with or without the keyboard, but with is much easier, which just makes it a small laptop anyways.
I have had it for a week now and here is what I have been doing with it. For starters, I have left my iPad at home, to force myself to use the Surface for everything on the road. It fits nicely in my camera bag. I bought the 256gb version with 8gb ram and the i5-4200 “Haswell” CPU. I have installed LightRoom, Photoshop, Steam, and a few other “new computer essentials”. Most of my latest P365 shots were processed on the Surface, as well as the latest RnR Comics assembled there. So, that being said, here are the Pros and Cons I have found in the week of use.
Pros:
- Windows 8 in touch screen format = Easy to use
- Nice bright screen with good color
- Stylus makes everything better
- Small and Light enough to carry in the bag
- Powerful enough to run everything I have thrown at it (it’s only been a week)
- Battery life = Amazeballs for a laptop
Cons:
- A little heavy for extended handheld use
- Windows App library limited
- Screen is still small for serious LightRoom use, but good for Portable
- One more USB port would be good
- Slight screen edge drift with the stylus.
Overall I am really happy with it. It does exactly what I bought it for and I hope to get a lot more use out of it. I am thinking of doing a future project (after P365 is done) where I sit in a coffee shop and do on the spot portraits, processing and all. More on that later though.
if you have any questions or want to know something specific about the Surface pro 2 that I didn’t cover here, please ask away in comments or via facebook or twitter!
Norman Who? (P365-302)
Posted by Steve
on October 29, 2013
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Norman Who? (#P365-302) #Photography
Via Flickr:
Came up with this idea last night and wanted to try it out. Today’s artist has a much different work space than back in Rockwell’s time. But so many similarities. I used an off camera flash to highlight my face in the mirror and a muted on camera flash to light the whole area.
Sack Lunch (P365-301)
Posted by Steve
on October 28, 2013
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Sack Lunch (#P365-301) #photography
Gadget Review: The Pebble SmartWatch
Posted by Steve
on October 22, 2013
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I recently became very intrigued by a new gadget. While I am not normally a watch type person, I have tried to wear a watch on many occasions. Way back when I had a Goofy watch that I got in Disneyland and it was great. Very low profile, fit my personality, light, and easy to read. (except that it ran backwards…it was…goofy). I have not been able to find a good light watch since then, and my poor old Goofy watch has broken beyond repair.
I tried to use the iPod Nano as a watch, and things started out great. It wasn’t super huge (much bigger that I had wanted, but manageable) and it had some great features: different watch faces, music, storage, step tracking. But….. I had to charge the thing nearly every night. This meant that there was a good chance I would forget it on the charger when I left, or it would just go dead on my arm. Also, having to connect it to my PC every time I wanted to switch things up on it or sync the steps was kind of a pain.
We are now in an era of the SmartWatch. With Samsung and Sony being the heavy hitters, it would almost appear like everyone has decided to build a smartwatch. The underdog in this battle? The Pebble. The Pebble started as a kick-starter and was met with a huge amount of support. The idea is simple. An e-ink screen and low power Bluetooth connection to display info from your phone. Be it notifications, e-mails texts, or incoming calls. The benefit? Instant access to your information, long battery life, less interaction with your phone. All through an open source development.
Like I said, intrigued.
After watching the information develop for this watch, I finally pulled the trigger and picked one up. It was $150 at Best Buy, and when you think about it, a good watch can cost WAY more than that. I was not disappointed either. Out of the box it was very easy to set up (Install the app on my Droid) and within a few seconds I was transferring watch faces to it. There are a lot of apps that add functionality available via the market, but I almost wish that the main Pebble folks would incorporate some of these functions into the native app.
I have now been using it for roughly 2 weeks and here is my typical usage of it:
- Notify My Android: Handled by Pebble Notifier
- Facebook: Pebble native
- Twitter: Handled by Pebble Notifier
- Work E-mail: Handled by Pebble Notifier
- G-mail: Pebble native
- Outlook: Handled by Pebble Notifier
- Pandora Music control (skip, pause) Pebble native
- Weather: Glance for pebble
- SMS replies (stock pre-generated): Glance for pebble
- Phone control: Pebble ringer (I wish Pebble native would do this)
So far, I have been amazed. The battery life of the e-ink display, even with the back-light active on shake (which is a cool feature) lasted 7 days. I was expecting about 3-5. There are a number of things you can do to extend this, like disabling the back-light, powering off the device when you aren’t wearing it, etc. Since I have started using it, I noticed that I don’t tend to look at my phone near as often too. If I am sitting at work, my phone is now on silent and I get notified on my pebble. if it’s something I need to respond to (e-mail, twitter, etc.) I just use my desktop. If I am out and about, I can either use a quick reply, or just use the pebble as an informative and reply back when I can. This means that my battery on the phone lasts longer as well since I am not turning on the screen.
Now, it’s not without it’s faults. Because of it being open source, and everyone developing apps that do cool things for it, I now have about 6 pebble related apps installed on my phone. These are things that could be rolled into a single app. While the shake back-light is cool, it also causes the light to go off when it’s not needed. i.e. clapping at a concert. (I know I can disable it). Picture messages don’t notify either, which is just strange. I have heard that the iOS integration is not as good as Android. So your mileage may vary. There is a much better open source community on the Android side of the house.
Overall I have been very impressed with it as a supplemental device. I haven’t even tested the fact that it’s waterproof as well. I have heard that many of the competing watches have yet to match the Pebble in battery life, which was the primary selling point for me.
If you see me around, feel free to ask me about it, I will gladly show it off.
An open letter to my friends about DragonCon
Posted by Steve
on October 9, 2013
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I am going to say some things about DragonCon that a lot of my friends may disagree with, but they are things that I think and feel.
You remember the first time you went to DragonCon? The size of the convention outweighed anything you had ever seen. The costumes were amazing, the friends you made there lasted forever. The wonder and awe of it all was so much to take in that you ended up talking about it for months on end after it was done. You came home and told all your friends about this magical place where you had so much fun.
The next time you went, it was still a blast, but you started to see a bit more of the tarnish. The room rates were a bit more than the year before. You got to hang out with friends, but a few of them were stuck in a line for a panel. You really wanted to pick up something at this booth in the dealers room, but it was a bit crowded each time you tried, and by the time you got in, it was sold out. But you still had a blast, and maybe the next few weeks after the con, you talked about it and went over your pictures.
Then, a few years of going down the road, more and more tarnish appears. Rooms sell out instantly. errors plague the system. Hotels handle the convention badly because it doesn’t matter, they still get their money. DudeBros invade the system because it’s an endless fountain of cheap rooms and entertainment for them.
I love DragonCon, but only as a memory. That first, second, even the third versions in my head are what I love.
Now. I have been to other big events. PAXEast and JoCoCruiseCrazy. Both are amazing events. I met amazing people at them, and I had experiences that rank up there with what I felt at that first DragonCon. When I got back from them, I wanted to do the same thing that I (and many others) had done after DragonCon which was spread the word. What I was met with was statements like “It’s not DragonCon” or “We are already spending our vacation at DragonCon”
No, they aren’t DragonCon. I won’t say they are better or worse than DragonCon. They are just something else. It’s something new. A chance to feel that magic and wonder again. To try something different.
I am not going to say that I won’t go back to DragonCon again. I would like to again. I had fun, despite the issues that surround it. But I am also going to try out other things. I would love to visit San Diego Comic Con, even though I have heard bad stories about them as well. There is Baltimore comic Con, NY comic con, Megacon, PAX Prime, etc.
Please don’t take this as a rant to get everyone to stop going to DragonCon, or even as an advertisement for any other convention. I realize that the cruise may be to expensive, or Video games aren’t your thing, or you don’t like comics. What I am saying is that there are LOTS of great events that offer up much the same experience that DragonCon does.
I know that we all have lots of friends that we like to meet up with at DragonCon, but remember how you met those friends. Think of the new friends that are waiting at a new event. All your DragonCon friends won’t desert you just for trying something new.
I would encourage everyone to try something new. You never know, you may like it!
Gainfully Employed
Posted by Steve
on October 7, 2013
No comments
After 3 ½ months of searching during one of the worst times for a govt. contractor to be searching for a job, I finally landed a position! Sarah also started a new job as well. It’s been a super stressful few months and I am really glad for the emotional support of my friends and family during that time. But hey, that’s done and I have joined the productive society again! I am now working in a local (to Northern VA) hosting company doing Tier 3 Windows support. Should be interesting getting back down in the support weeds. Who knows, it may lead to a whole new variety of twitter jokes.
Sadly, this does bring an end to my series of “Cover Letter” jokes. please feel free to go back and see the hilarity that ensues when you try and add the wrong things to cover letters.
In the month since I went to shoot the LADEE launch, quite a few things have happened. One of the reasons I haven’t written much since then is primarily due to the crappy depression that accompanies something like unemployment. (That and the lack of sleep, irritability, feeling of worthlessness….you get the picture) So lets see if I can shotgun these out.
We started doing a Webcomic over at RetroNickRadio!! It’s really cool and you should go read it.
I went to shoot some Roller Derby!
Two Words….Midget Wrestling. (yeah, that happened)
Sarah and I celebrated our return to work with a trip to Universal Studios.
We got to attend a great concert by Wil Wheaton Vs. Paul and Storm
And finally, two of our super awesome friends were finally allowed to be married in Maryland so we went to wish them well.
The next month should prove interesting as I adjust to a new work schedule (read that as “Actually working again, and not in my Pajamas”)
Shooting the LADEE Launch (The 10 Second Lesson)
Posted by Steve
on September 8, 2013
1 comment
I grew up as a space nerd. One of my fondest memories as a kid was pouring over a book that my parents got me that covered the history of space exploration. I think I probably destroyed it from reading it so often and yet even today I can recall the diagrams and photos and articles from it. I was extremely sad when I heard that the shuttle was being retired because I was just entering the age and time that I could actually make it down to see it get launched.
So when I heard that there was a launch that was taking a probe to the moon, and it was happening in Virginia, I was excited. Not, “Hey, there is a launch happening in VA” excited. No, this was 10 year old SNES kid “HOLY CARP THEY ARE SHOOTING A ROCKET AT THE MOON FROM MY BACK YARD” excited. Needless to say, I told Sarah we were going to see it. (Thankfully, she is as much of a nerd as I am and there was no question about our attendance)
Wallops Island Flight Facility is on the very coast of VA. The good news is that it’s only 130 miles from my house. The bad news is that because of the roads, it’s driving 205 miles. The plan was to leave early on Friday morning and spend the day down there getting ready for the launch. Well, best laid plans…. Sarah ended up with an interview at noon, and I have a phone interview that popped up at 1:30pm. So we couldn’t leave until around 4pm. This got us there at around 8:30pm (Launch was slated for 11:30pm). Well, parking sucked.
Sarah dropped me off at a small pier on the causeway to Chincoteague island and attempted to park, but found nothing so she went to the Marina on the island (a good 20min drive from me) to watch the launch. The location I was at was perfect, right across from the launch pad, hardly any light pollution, and not a huge crowd. Sarah was MUCH close to the launch pad (6 miles to my 8), but it was crowded with families, and not as much place to set up to shoot. (from what I understand, her view was amazing, just got great for what I was doing).
Back to the idea that I was going to take pictures of the launch. This is something I had never done before. It was a nighttime launch, so I knew it was going to be bright, but not how bright. Do I track it? Do I take various shots as it goes up? Do I do a long exposure? Why hadn’t I looked this up?!? I had NO CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING!!! Yeah, these were all thoughts that went through my head while I was there. I defaulted to my instincts and shot what I knew. Did some Long Exposure of the facility and the stars. I figured that I would just have to be quick and snap the pics as they came. Needless to say I learned a LOT, very fast.
When shooting a launch here is what I picked up:
- Rule #1: Launches happen VERY FAST. Be prepared
- Rule #2: They are VERY BRIGHT. I was still 8 miles from the launch pad and it lit up the whole area.
- Rule #3: Relating to rule #1, You get 1 shot at it. It’s not like they will do another launch in 2 min.
- Rule #4: Take a few shots, then put down the camera and admire the fact that we are launching something into space!
When the launch happened, I adjusted, fired, adjusted, fired, followed, fired, followed, fired, and then done. I had no idea what I got. The screen on my D600 only gave me a small hint. I watched the rocket as it arced across the sky, watched the different stages and marveled at it’s glory. Only after it had become a tiny speck did I feel the anxiety of “Did I get a good picture?”
I posted to Facebook and Twitter that the launch was amazing and that I hope I got a good shot. Then all the various responses came in of “Missed the launch, can’t wait to see your pics” and “I know you got a good one, can’t wait!” Oh god, the pressure was on now. I know it sounds silly, but I was seriously worried. I checked the photos transferred to my iPad while I waited for Sarah to make the traffic crazy drive back to pick me up. The pictures were just ok, but it was dark, and the iPad screen is only so good. Plus, I couldn’t do the level of processing to really reveal the picture behind the picture. Did I mess up my first launch?
Sarah picked me up and we found some sleazy motel to crash in and I think I drifted off at around 2am. The next day we spent exploring Chincoteague Island. I didn’t get back to my PC to process until late Saturday.
I spent probably a good 2 hours working on 5 pictures. 3 Rocket shots and 2 star field shots. The good news is…. I am happy with them. The better news is, I know what I can do to improve for the next time.
Also, I need to stop being so hard on myself.
Enjoy:
Making Comics
Posted by Steve
on September 6, 2013
No comments
I think I should wait till I have about 20 or so strips under my belt before I decide to call myself a Webcomic author, but yeah, I am making comics now. It started a while back when I was relating to Nick that we should have a webcomic for the RetroNick site. I had some great ideas for some strips that involved us, the hosts, but since I couldn’t draw (and he can, amazingly) we could team up.
Well, the problem with that is that Nick is extremely busy. Also, drawing takes a lot of time. So I gave up on the idea until the other day when I thought about just doing them in Photo form. I had seen Joel Watson of http://hijinksensue.com/ so them on occasion and they looked pretty straight forward. So I wrote up some quick jokes, talked to the guys and suddenly…BOOM, RnR comics was born.
As of this posting, there are only 2 active. I have 4 nearly finished, waiting on some info and extra photos, and another 2 in script form. This process makes me both envious and NON envious of some of the webcomic authors I follow who can actually draw. I know they put a TON of effort into drawing each strip as well as coming up with new material each week/day/etc. On the flip side, drawing some of the panels would make the limit of “what can I pull off in the real world” a little easier. (Example, I probably couldn’t pull off a picture of me and the guys in a theater watching a movie)
So keep an eye over at the RetroNick site and look for the new comics on Tues and Thurs!
