Tag Archives: photo

Project Nerd Prints

Posted by on May 19, 2014 No comments

I have attended a lot of conventions.  One of the things I love to check out is the Artist Alley.  This is where the various comic/fantasy/painter artists hang out and have tables and do sketches.  You can walk by and visit with them, browse their artwork and even have them do a sketch for you.

From an photography artist, this made me a little jealous.  I love the idea of sitting in a booth or table and doing on the spot artwork for people, or having elaborate mat-boards for people to browse through.  But as we all have learned, I am still in the early stages of drawing, and I don’t really have some printed artwork that I can display…….

or do I?

Castle in a Panic (P365-173)I went through some of my older photos and noticed a theme.  I have a lot of nerdy prints that I have taken over the years.  Some of these would look cool hung up in a study or in your geeky nerd cave.  So I have decided to compile them all into one place, and then offer them up “Project Nerd Prints”.

If I am at a convention I will try and have some of these printed out and available, as well as having the ability to do on the spot portraits.  This is coupled with my working on sketching.

If you think of something that would be a good Nerd Print, please pass the suggestion on and I will see what I can do.  Please feel free to browse the full gallery over at Flickr and some of the selected works below.

Project 365 status: Complete!

Posted by on January 2, 2014 1 comment

Reflections (P365-31)What a year!  As you have probably read in my New Years post, this year has been quite the roller coaster.  So many ups and downs that I probably would not have even remembered them all if I hadn’t been doing this project.  On of Dec 31st 2013, I took my last Project 365 picture.  It was one that we had planned, probably from the beginning of the project.  My buddy Louis and I both started P365 on Jan 01 2013 and have had lots of conversations through the year about “What should I take a picture of?” and “I am out of ideas!!” also “Why did we agree to this!!”.  In the end I am glad we stuck with it though.  I look back on some of my earlier shots and can actually see a lot of progression in technique and style. (Quick Edit: Louis wrote up his post about P365 over on his site: http://www.gamutofgeek.com/i-need-to-figure-out-my-picture/ )

There are a number of types of shots that I don’t know that I would have done had I not been forcing myself to take something every day.  By the end I really started to see myself shooting in 4 different categories:

  • Life event – Something significant happened that day and I wanted to document it.  Usually this was something like a concert, or event we went to see, but occasionally was something like “we went to see a movie”.
  • Outdoor Artistic – This was when I wanted to capture something outside in good lighting, and usually had to travel to get, or at least spend some time getting the right shot.
  • Indoor Artistic – If weather was a limiting factor, or I just couldn’t get out, I typically went for a new style or technique. These shots often involved a lot of set up and there is a certain style to them.
  • Lazy – Let’s face it, getting a shot every day is tiring.  Some days there just isn’t much to shoot and life has beat you up.  So I would just grab the camera and take a picture of something/anything.

We had some pretty lenient rules set in place before we started:

  • Using the DSLR was primary, but falling back on a Cell phone was ok (Sometimes you just don’t have your good camera on you)
  • Midnight was not the cut off, before you went to bed was.  (When we started, Louis was working a late shift and would often be up till 2-3am)
  • Try and do something different each day

One of the big issues I had in the project was the time change when I was going to and from Kuwait earlier in the year.  There was actually a huge scare involving day 35.  You see, I apparently suck at numbering.  I was constantly getting my day number mixed up (until I found this website to help me with it) so I would usually use the picture from the day before as a reference.  Well, with dateline crossing and time shifts, also being up after midnight, my numbers were always getting messed up.

Emergency Breakfast! (P365-35)Some time in August, I went into the Flickr set and did a manual count, only to find that my pictures were off by 1 day.  Not just the numbering, but the actual total count was missing one.  I was crushed.  I traced the issue all the way back to Feb 5th.  This was the day I traveled back to the states from Kuwait and apparently lost almost an entire day in the process.  I freaked out and started looking everywhere for any pictures I may have taken.  Thankfully I found that I had taken a picture of my breakfast that Sarah made me.  The time frame matches up and I was saved.

After that I was much more diligent about numbering.

So now that I am done, I am planning on taking a small break from carrying my camera around everywhere I go. (Even though Sarah bought me an amazing new camera backpack). Now it’s on to projects that I can focus the theme.

Some advice to anyone willing to try P365?  Do it, but go out and explore!  Work on something new each day, be it a location, a technique, a style, etc..  Explore Flickr and find some types of shots that you want to try and then do them.  Most importantly….. document your life with it.  Lots of stuff happens around you, grab a picture of it, but don’t forget to experience it too.  When you have the picture, put the camera down and enjoy the show with your own eyes too.

Enjoy the pictures!

 

I’m On A Boat!

Posted by on February 8, 2013 No comments

OK, I am not on the boat yet, but I will be shortly.  Sarah and I are attending JoCoCruiseCrazy 3 this year and it’s going to be awesome!  This will pose some interesting #FirstWorldProblems.  The internet on the boat, while available, is very expensive.  Many folks are going without as a challenge.  I may or may not be up for this challenge.  Of course that means that uploading my P365 pictures is going to be difficult (or non-existent).  Take heart people, I will be taking and processing my photo every day, when I get back to the Internets (or possibly at a hotspot in one of the ports of call) I will upload and label them for the days they were taken.

In the meantime, enjoy this slideshow of my P365 shots to today.

Also, check out the Trooper Adventures, who will also be going with us on the cruise.

Kuwait Adventures continued!

Posted by on January 28, 2013 No comments

Crane on the beachRapidly closing in on finishing up my full month in country, I have to say I have certainly learned and seen a lot so far.  With my Project 365 task, I have tried to keep the pictures themed to what I have been doing here and some of my experiences.  I can look back at these pictures and probably tell you all about what happened that day.

 

Recently I had a great adventure when I met up with a local, Mohamed, who got in contact with me via Reddit.  I know it’s not the safest or wisest thing to do, meeting random strangers on the internet and having them take me through a foreign country, but hey, I like to live dangerously.  (Also a fan of not getting raped or stabbed, thankfully that didn’t happen)

This meetup was to show me what gaming culture was like in Kuwait.  Boy did I learn all about it too.  I don’t want to put too much into this post because the whole reason for researching this was to have some great knowledge for the next RetroNick Radio podcast.  All my findings will be there!

In the meantime, you get to catch up on my P365 photos.  Also, don’t forget to check out the Trooper Adventures!  These Lego guys are out on a tour of whatever they can find.

Blue Ring (P365-27)

Blue Ring (P365-27)
When I got here to Kuwait, it was VERY dry. Back at home I am used to higher humidity levels so I went out and bought a humidifier. I found one in a place downtown, it cost me about 18KD (close to $60) but it really is amazing. And it looks cool too.

Fighting at the White Tower (P365-26)

Fighting at the White Tower (P365-26)
This one is more of a snap shot of something I went to do today. I was guided by a great Local guy to one of Kuwaits main gaming communities. The White Tower (Facebook.com/whitetowerq8)
Here you will find the elite of the Kuwait fighting game league. It was a great glimpse into Kuwaiti gaming life. Much more about this trip will be covered on the RetroNickRadio pod cast. Www.retronick.com.

Keyboard Conundrum (P365-25)

Keyboard Conundrum (P365-25)
Spent a lot of the day working, which meant typing away on a keyboard. This one is not my regular laptop but one from a small netbook sized laptop I bought while here. I have been using it as a media PC running XBMC.
You can see from the keys that it has both english letters and arabic letters. Just in case I need to write out some letters to the locals.

Pop Pop relief. (P365-24)

Pop Pop relief. (P365-24)
I mentioned on my blog that I had a minor crisis when I left for Kuwait. I left my battery charger at home. Yeah I know! My battery normally lasts around a week, two if I conserve. You would also think I could just buy one here, but alas, no. I tried 12 places and no one had any DSLR chargers. (not even Canon ones!)
Thankfully, my lovely wife slipped my charger (and fully charged spare battery) into the mail and about a week later, it arrived. She loaded it so full of bubble wrap it was comical.
This bubble wrap may show up again. Just warning you now.

Play time is over (P365-23)

Play time is over (P365-23)
Another walkabout brought me upon this old abandoned playground. I have to imagine that there were many days of kids swinging and laughing here. On the plus side, across the street from here is a large park with a new playground that looks much safer.

Night Transit (P365-22)

Night Transit (P365-22)
Wanted to try for a long exposure night shot of the road in front of my building here. There are always cars zipping by till pretty late, and the cross road is sually pretty busy as well. My angle for the view isn’t the greatest but it gave me a chance to play around with it.

Fishing boats in the Mists (P365-21)

Fishing boats in the Mists (P365-21)
Went to the local open air market and found some of the fishing boats that supply it. The fog rolled in today so I took advantage of it.

Smug Camel is Smug (P365-20)

Smug Camel is Smug (P365-20)
We went to visit the camel breeding and trading post today. While we did not actually find the trading post, there were plenty of camels around and all of them were very friendly.

A taste of home, abroad. (P365-19)

A taste of home, abroad. (P365-19)
I love ginger beer. Back home I would find all sorts of brands to test. Here in Kuwait is almost impossible to find. Thankfully one of the stores imports Barr brand from England.
This was a backup picture I took as a “just in case”. I have started the habit of shooting a few things through out the day just to have something for later.

Chillin like a goat (P365-18)

Chillin like a goat (P365-18)
Came across this guy while I was out on a little expidition. I love the way he is staring longly at his watering hole conteplating his life……… as a goat.

Machine City during the day (P365-17)

Machine City during the day (P365-17)
The nearest large refinery looks amazing both during daytime and night time. It really does look like a giant machine city. I’ll work on getting a shot at night with all the lights.

Pocket Stuff (P365-16)

Pocket Stuff (P365-16)
At any given time I almost always have 4 things in my pocket, and my fitbit clipped to the side. Two are very basic, some lip balm (which is more for Sarah than for me), and a USB stick with some basic documents on it. The more interesting items are the 20 sided dice and the brass acorn.
Most gamers know that your dice are sacred, they have a connection to you. This one has been in my pocket for years and is very connected. Also, you never know when you may have to make a roll to resist temptation.
I always get asked about the acorn. When we started dating, Sarah and I were out for a walk and she randomly picked up an acorn and handed it to me. Not thinking much about it, I put it in my pocket. At the end of each night, I take the stuff in my pocket out and put it on the dresser, then the next morning it all goes back in my pocket. At my bachelors party, the real acorn disappeared and I was devastated. Sarah found the brass one online and gave it to me just after the wedding. It’s been in my pocket ever since.

FishEye view of the coast (P365-15)

FishEye view of the coast (P365-15)
Decided to give the DSLR a rest today and broke out my GoPro camera for a nice super wide angle view from my balcony here in Kuwait. Even in a foreign country, I still end up on the East Coast!

Old habit with new things. (P365-14)

Old habit with new things. (P365-14)
I am a big tea drinker. I had thought that coming to the Middle East would open up the types of tea I could try. Turns out that’s not the case. They are a big fan of Lipton here. I found this Red Label tea that’s not too bad, but kind of strong.
The mugs in my apartment are tiny, so I picked up this one on the base.

Mobile Photography

Posted by on September 25, 2012 1 comment

The Apps

I have been traveling around quite a bit lately.  The thing that always goes with me is my photography bag.  (It’s contents are listed in the sidebar)  What doesn’t always go with me is my laptop.  You see, I have a behemoth of a laptop.  It’s an older ASUS gaming laptop that, while great for gaming, and processing photos, and everything else, is just HUGE!  I love it to death, but it’s just not a feasible option for simple travel.  Sure, if I am going to be someplace for an extended time, or have a lot of luggage I can take, it would make more sense.  So in most cases, I just use my iPad.

When I bought the iPad I have now, I knew I would be using it for photog stuff, so the 64gb size made sense.  I shoot primarily in RAW and that takes up a lot of space.  Of course, storage isn’t the only concern though.  I needed a few good quality applications to round out it’s usage.  I thought that I would post about what I am using and the process in which I use them.

The apps that I tend to use the most (for photography) are:

So, there’s all the tools, but how do you incorporate them into a shoot?  Easy!  Here is a play by play on how I would go about using all of these tools out in the field to Shoot, display, organize, process, and publish.

Release Forms

I have an upcoming project I am working on for a photo essay on Portraits. (subject to be explained at a later date)  I will be on location for the duration of the project and won’t have access to my PC until much later.  So I would go about the shoot, like usual.  Meet with the subject and discuss the plans for the project and their involvement.  If they agree to the project they would then fill out the release form in Easy Release and sign.  Then I would have them fill out the form I created in Numbers that asks them for information specific to the project. (Simple questionnaire)  It’s important to have questions in the survey that would identify them in the pictures.

Using my Nikon camera and lighting gear (supplemented by the SoftBox app) we would take the photos.  The Eye-Fi card would wirelessly transfer the JPG preview to the iPad, which would be standing nearby, to display the picture I just took (within a second or two).  This allows a larger screen to see framing, lighting, exposure.  I like the LCD on my camera, but sometimes it’s just not big enough to judge if I got the shot I wanted, or was just off. The downside to this is the time it takes to transfer.  If you are shooting at an event where speed is a factor, this is not a good solution.  Of course, if you at an event like that, you probably aren’t checking your LCD every few shots either.

Eye-Fi used as quick Preview

Softbox can show different colors or textures

Once the shots are done I import the RAW into the iPad using the camera connector. (it’s an important step to delete the Eye-Fi imported JPG’s to avoid duplicates).  Then I can use Photosmith to organize the shots into groups, flag the ones I want to keep/discard/etc. Now, I can stop here and wait for my PC to process photos, since when I get to it I can sync Photosmith to Lightroom and go from there, but, if I am going to be out for a while and want to get some work done quickly, I can proceed with processing.

Organizing and tagging like a PRO!

Using Photosmith I can identify the shots that I want to focus on.  If I shot in bracketed mode for HDR use, I would find the two shots I want to combine and open them in Pro HDR.  Adjust the levels, and save then move on to Snapseed.  For a typical shoot, I would just open in Snapseed. This allows me to adjust all my levels, colors, and balance.  I can do some selective adjustment as well.  If I need to use more precise editing, or want a more Lightroom type feel, I can use Filterstorm instead of or in conjunction with Snapseed.

HDR Editing on the fly

Quick Professional edits

Precise edits

Once editing is finished I can use the iPad to post to various social networks, email, and even my own website.  Using FlickStackr I can upload to Flickr directly, add all the info I need, tag it with keywords, location, and people.

Uploading and tagging on Flickr

So there you have it.  The whole process described above can be done, on the scene, in a matter of minutes.  (depending on shoot time)

Now, that’s not to say that this process doesn’t have it’s faults. You certainly aren’t going to get as accurate processing as you would with Lightroom on a PC.  As with all electronics, battery life is an issue too.  The Eye-Fi card adds a draw to the camera battery, and having the iPad up and receiving drains it as well.  Barring that, I love being able to set up, shoot, process, and publish all while on the road.

Random Objects

Posted by on February 3, 2012 No comments

In my quest to take more pictures I have decided to go with a theme.  Random Objects.  Just some things you may pass every day and not take notice of.  For the past few weeks I have made it a point to climb to the top of our 6 floor stairwell just to get some stairs into my daily routine.  In doing so I pass by these pipes every day.  This one caught a very nice shadow and looked interesting:

Open Here

Photos, Games, and Cars

Posted by on November 8, 2011 No comments

Here is a fun mix of photography, gaming, and cars all bundled into one post!  Now, as you all know I picked up my new MINI just over a week ago and couldn’t help but get out and take come cool shots of it.  I have some ideas of some other shots but those will come along soon.


On kind of a whim I picked up the Forza 4 game for Xbox 360.  (ok not so much whim but I learned that there is a MINI in the game). On top of it being a great racing game, I learned it has a cool photo mode that allows you to take great shots of the cars in the game.  Of course, I couldn’t resist.

Lastly, wanted to post that my work travel plans have changed and this means I will be able to join in on the MINI’s take the Beltway charity drive!!  The money all goes to the Wounded Warrior project and it’s 50+ MINI’s gathered to do a Lap on the beltway!  It’s this Sunday so if you are in the DC area and want to see a ton of MINI’s check it out!

Holy Cow, what a weekend!

Posted by on October 2, 2011 No comments

Just a quick note to let you know what I am working on.  This weekend was super busy.  I was given the chance to experiment with some Sports photography when the NOVA Roller Derby asked me to come and shoot their first match on Saturday!  I was super excited and also a little nervous since this was my first real shot at trying Sports Photography.  As I have learned, it’s a whole different beast from artistic or even portrait or posed photography.  Action is fast and you have to act to get the shot you want.  It certainly shed some light on some areas I need to improve on with my skill level (and some gear).  I ended up with roughly 1200 shots that need to be gone through and pull out the best of the best.  

As soon as the derby was finished I had to head down south to meet up with my friends Louis and Jen as they get ready for their wedding on Sunday!  We hung out the night before the wedding until late and then it was a full day on Sunday (for all of us, but them mostly).  I was not the prime Photographer for the wedding and was incredibly glad for that.  I really enjoyed the actual wedding and not stressing over getting the right shot.  I did, however, take a lot of Candid shots.  (About 350 before sorting).  The Wedding was amazing and we had a blast.  

So there we are, late Sunday night and I have about 1500 photos to sort through and the process the best.  I am totally exhausted.  I promise I will start working on photos tomorrow.

The Un-Official DragonCon Post.

Posted by on September 9, 2011 1 comment

Why is this an Un-official post?  Because I am still processing the whole con. Literally. I am working through all the photos I took processing them to improve the shots, doing laundry from the con, cleaning up the house and also taking care of the new Kitties we adopted the day after!
 
So why post? Well, there are a few things I want to touch on because they were So Awesome! (well, one not so awesome)
 

I MET WIL WHEATON!  
No really, this was the highlight of the Con for me!  Anyone who knows me knows that I kind of have a man-crush (Platonic) for Mr. Wheaton.  I made the attempt to meet him at PAX east but apparently, his meemaw died/He was washing his hair/he was dead at the time, and he couldn’t attend.  So when I heard he was going to be at DragonCon I was super excited!  I was dressed in one of the two costumes I brought, Matty Roth from the comic DMZ.  I figured that maybe only 2 people would get the costume but I was not prepared for what happened next.  As I stepped up in line and greeted Wil with the Iron Guard Salute, this happened:
 
Wil: Are you fucking Cosplaying as DMZ??  THAT’S Awesome!
Me: YES!!
Wil: Hey Felicia!  Check out this DMZ Cosplay!  Hold on, I have to get a picture of this and send it to Brian Wood.
Me: That’s AWESOME!

I then handed him two 6-sided dice that I made telling him that I “Got exited and made something” which spawned another round of “That’s Awesome!”  I also got the chance to tell him that during his Father Son bonding over brewing beer, I was doing the same while building a Tardis. (That’s Awesome, round 4)  He signed a picture of himself collating paper and we went on our way.  I was giggling for the rest of the day.

Now, the worst experience of the con, sadly, was my one with William Shatner.  On my way through the Walk of Fame area, I stopped at the booth for WS and they had mentioned that he would be back in 30 min.  There was no line so I figured “I can wait 30 min!”  I Happily bought my photo ticket ($75!!!!), picked out my photo (Only Kirk photos, no S My dad says or Denny Crane), and got in line.  30 min turned into 45, then an hour, then longer and longer.  The folks at the booth were trying to assure us that he was on his way down.  It was nearing 5pm and we knew he had a panel at 5:30pm.  (I got in line at 3:30pm).  When he finally showed up, the line herders asked if I would let a woman in a wheelchair in front of me, which I had no problem with. (navigating the con in a wheel chair is tough, trust me on this.)  She got her autograph and was working on backing out of the area, the handler reached out for my photo and handed it to WS as I got out of the way.  When I got back up to the counter, the Photo was signed and I was being shuttled away without barely a glance from WS.  I did manage to eek out a “It was very…er..honor” and got a half hearted fist bump before they moved on to the next guy.

Never in all of my conventions and Autograph collecting have I ever been treated like a sheep.  It has always been my experience that I am paying the $20+ not for the autograph or the photo, but for the experience of getting 1-2 minutes of time with an actor/author/artist that I genuinely admire enough that I want to Pay for that moment.  I don’t do this to collect signatures.  I do this because I LIKE these people and want to express how much I appreciate and support their work.  If I wanted just a photo with a signature on it, I could have bought one in the dealers room! (and probably paid less.)  I have heard that WS is kind of a dick when it comes to conventions, but I really want to believe that maybe he was just being rushed by con handlers, or was having a bad day and doesn’t normally treat fans this way.  I can hope right?

The rest of the con was outstanding.  Pictures will be coming along soon as well as maybe a real after action report.  I <3 everyone I hung out with there!!

Photography A la..Mode

Posted by on June 14, 2011 No comments

In the last year I have been playing around with the different modes of whichever camera I am using.  It started with the simple point and shoots I could pick up.  First thing is always to dive into the menu and learn about every type of mode the camera has to offer.  Most of them are pretty simple with you Portrait, Macro, Sunset, etc.  All the typical modes that every user will usually just ignore and leave their camera on Auto.  (kind of makes you shudder, doesn’t it.)  

Once I ventured back into the SLR world, I picked up a D3000 (and thusly my current D5100) to brush off the photography skill dust.  I noticed that the D3000 had a bunch of the same Modes on the dial, the only difference were the 4 special ones: M, A, S, P.  Catching up on my reading I learned what these were and how to embrace them for what they can do.  A friend of mine heard that I finally got back into DLSR’s and warned me that if I ever used anything other than M that he may disown me.  While I understood his intent, I really wanted to learn about all of the modes, even the more Auto-like ones.  

First thing I learned is that the Auto specific mode is great.  It takes great pictures and it good for something just point and shoot.  It doesn’t allow you the freedom to tweak your pictures in that way that the photographers eye can catch though.  Most camera’s have this mode, along with all of your other scene specific modes listed above on the Point and shoot style camera’s.  I like to call these “Guest modes”.  I am sure most of us have had to deal with this before. You are at a once in a lifetime event, you want a picture that has YOU in it (unlike all your other pictures) so you need someone to take the shoot for you.  You could A: give a strange the complete dissertation on lighting, shutter speeds, and aperture, B: Hand them the user manual for your camera and wait the 4+ hours for them to memorize it like you did, or C: flip the Camera into Auto, let them push the button and enjoy that picture of you and Lou Ferigno where he is holding you over his head like a twig. (Lou is actually a really nice guy.)

Now, Auto modes aside, that still leaves your M, A, S, P modes.  For those not in the know they are as follows:

M: Manual.  You control the Horizontal and the Vertical….Ok actually you control every aspect from ISO to Shutter and everything in between.
A: Aperture priority.  You control the Aperture setting and allow the camera to adjust the Shutter speed.  Fun fact here is that you really are controlling everything else.  You want that specific Depth of field (DOF) that a F/1.4 will give you but you are in a spot where the light keeps changing.  Slip into A mode and let the camera adjust the Shutter. You still control ISO
S: Shutter priority.  This is identical to A but you are controlling the shutter speed and letting the camera work the aperture.  This is ideal if you want a specific speed on your shot and not worried about your DOF. same here, you still control ISO
P: Program mode. This mode is damn handy some times. With P mode your camera will control the Shutter and Aperture, but you can adjust on the fly.  You are still setting the exposure levels and ISO but all of the speed and DOF are handled by the camera.  You may thing this is a lot like Auto mode, but you would be mistaken.  You are still in control of your lighting and even the speed (to an extent).  By adjusting P mode you can change your levels dynamically to tune your shot.  The best uses of P mode are those tourist type spots where you are moving around, want to grab a quick shot of something and don’t have the time to adjust each setting.    I will occasionally use P at a convention if I just want a quick shot of a Costume or booth and can’t have the person sit for 30+ seconds to adjust for lighting.  P mode is not a sin!!

Now, if you ask me where my camera is set to right now, I’ll tell you it’s in M.  Probably a good 85% of the time I will remain in M because most of the shots I take, I want the most control over them. Aside from that, I am not afraid to venture into other modes, and even the dreaded Auto, is allowed on my camera….just as long as someone else is using it.