All Things Photography

Two Books I Love

2011-10-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

My motto is to live life simply and enjoy life's simplest pleasures. One such pleasure is cherishing my many books I have collected over the years. I cannot imagine reading a book on a Kindle, it is just not my thing. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than holding a book in my hand with a cup of coffee or my favorite glass of Pino Noir at the end day sitting on the porch, that to me is heavenly bliss. Forgive me, those of you who have fallen in love with the new Kindle Fire. It sounds like it would be a convenient piece of new gadget, but for me it just absolutely takes the fun out of reading my favorite book.

Among the hundreds of precious books I own are many photography books - the "How-To" books and books on works of photographer Greats, past and present, from which I draw my inspiration often.

Andres Kertesz: The Polaroids - I absolutely love this book, it is a small 7x6 hardcover filled with beautiful Polaroid images taken by Kertesz, a Hungarian born photographer. After the death of his wife, Kertesz consoled himself by taking up a new camera, the Polaroid SX70, he mastered the camera and produced an amazing body of work, most of which were produced from ordinary objects dear to him, shot in his New York apartment. If you are like me, sorely missing the Polaroids, or the retro images of Diana Camera and the Lomographic Holga, this book is a Must Own. Andre Kertesz: The Polaroid

The second book I enjoy reading is also a small hardcover - A book on Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange. Of the many photography legends, I admire her works most. You might have seen her work "Migrant Mother", "White Angel Bread Line" of the Depression. She epitomizes what it means to be a people's photography, connecting with her subjects often in unspoken words, and bringing dignity to the poor and destitute. In today's tech gadget crazed world, her work resets the frame for me every time and reminds me of what it means to be a good photographer.

Stock Photography

2011-07-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

A small sampling of my most recent stock photos on 123RF, one of 4 sites my stock photos are available for download for a fee.....Of the many genres in photography, I enjoy doing macro and landscape photography for stock, black and white street/documentary photography/medium format film for me.

Microstock photography business is rather different in that photos that sell well may not be the most awe inspiring ones, and you don't really need 20 megapixel DSLR to start. Rather, buyers look for images that can used on their blogs, ad brochure, print media, book cover to illustrate a point, convey a message. They often will do additional post processing work, cropping out something they don't want, merging with another photo to make a collage. It is more important to have a crisp sharp shot, where point of focus is well thought out. I highly recommend if you are doing macro photography to always use a sturdy tripod. Although good stock photos are often isolated in white, they don't always have to be so as you can see from my screenshot below. I always keep a small journal and collect photo ideas from magazines before I throw them away, I find that very useful when I am searching for ideas.

To go to my 123RF stock photo page, click here

register at 123RF as buyer/contributor

Need a cool gift? check out my CafePress stores:
zzArt
zzGraphicArt
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Stock Photo Tear Sheet

2011-07-13T16:50:00.001-07:00

Now this first one (left) I am pretty excited about, the cover of a magazine !!! something to do with Spanish debt and the looming Euro sovereign debt crisis. This was a shot I took early morning in Playa del rey. Varsity canoe teams were having their Saturday morning practice and I caught them in action going down Balboa Creek canal.

The second photo below (top right) came from a trip to Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills a few years back. Trendy shoppers and fancy boutiques make for good photos. I managed to shoot quite a few stock worthy photos, and many made it to web pages and travel sites.

It is much easier to find one's photos these days. Google recently added a pretty cool Image Search feature, one only has to drag a photo and drop into the search box and viola, a list of links where that image is used appears. Superb tool! It allows a photographer to find where an image is being used quickly (hopefully the image had been downloaded and paid for and used within licensing guidelines). It also makes it easier to check if the image might be used without permission. Using this new Google Image search feature, I have been able to find where my images are used and save the links and screen shots for my own reference.

This last one below was from a more recent shoot, a simple make shift studio set up, with daylight bulbs and shades I bought from Home Depot. It was one of those days, I was looking for things to shoot, and have been staring at the measuring tape on my writing desk (mustard yellow in color, can't remember where I got it from though)... Hunting for a second object from my kitchen to make a theme, I settled on a large measuring round spoon...and an image was born.

Have had over 2000 downloads from three stock photo sites since I started doing stock photography, not too shabby I suppose. Seeing where an image is used (or could be used) and the context in which it is used gives me good feedback, and makes me a better stock photographer. Has the income paid for my camera equipment you ask? Not just yet, getting close though and I have stopped buying more equipment so I can get caught up (if my equipment does not break down before then). I have a modest set up, Canon 10D, a good macro, medium telephoto lens and wide angle lens, tripod, home made studio light set up and some accessories, I prefer natural/subtle light.

Lith Prints -The Trial Run

2011-05-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Started Lith printing a couple of weeks back and it took a few runs to work out my darkroom work flow. Still far from perfect, it has been a rather enlightening journey, one that certainly was made more enjoyable with a glass of Vola Sangiovese from the local Trader Joes at times. It has been said Lith printing appeals to the artist in you, I can certainly attest to that as no two prints are alike. One notable point is the constant "agitation", a gentle tilting of the developer tray back and forth that is needed to get a good print. This is perhaps the most boring but necessary part of the Lith process in order to coax the image to come alive in your Lith bath. One may decide to steal a few winks while setting one's fingers to "automate" the motion, hopefully to be "awaken" at the right moment to snatch the print from the Lith developer.

Below are two Lith prints from my trial runs. The quick digital scans do not do them justice but you get the idea :)

"Printed from Kodak 125PX B&W neg of a red guitar still life, Oriental Seagull FB Warmtone paper, Moersch Lith Developer"

"Lith print, Two friends, Cinco de Mayo 2009, Oriental Seagull FB Warmtone paper, Moersch Lith Developer, Kodak 125PX film, this one could use a little dodging and burning I think"

A couple of advice I can pass on at this early stage:

Prepare your Lith developer as per manufacturer's instructions with respect to dilutions, fresh batch for each run if possible. Otherwise pepper fogging will plaque one's prints and you will be sorry. If you find yourself wavering, remind yourself that darkroom photographic paper is more expensive than developer!

Set up your darkroom work flow optimally so everything is in the right place, from exposing the film to tray development. This way objects are not in the way as time is the essence with Lith. The image takes anywhere from 5-30 minutes to develop then things progress rather quickly at that point. Developer dilution and recipe/temperature of bath are all variables that can affect developing time and the Lith effect. A chair in the darkroom is a must so you are comfortable.

Get a Maglite with red filter or better still, I bought two sheets of Rubylith film on eBay and tape them over an LED torch light. That did the trick for me and I did not have fogging for the 15-30 minutes when the prints are in the developer and I had to check it from time to time.

Good darkroom tongs so you can snatch the prints out of the developer at the right moment as it becomes critical at that stage. One second too many can alter the look of the print.

Fresh Fixer solution is a must. Exhausted fixer will bleach the precious highlights out of the print to your horror.

Fiber paper definitely prints better in Lith, Ilford RC works but the color lacks punch. Same can be said about bleaching an old B&W print and dipping it in Lith bath, the resulting Lith image is simply flat. Definitely no shortcut here.

If your black and white negative has nice contrast, printing without contrast filter renders better Lith results. This is probably a matter of personal taste/opinion, depending the look and mood you are trying to achieve.

This is a total darkroom development process much like traditional black and white wet room printing, unless one opts to take the short cut, bleach an old print and re-develop in Lith, that can be done in the daylight of course. I find the latter not very satisfying as the results are rather flat to say the least even if the paper has sufficient latitude for one to re-work.

Can you Lith print from color slide and color negative? Definitely, be prepared for interesting wildly different end results. I am not sure if there is any hard and fast rule as I have not gone that far with experimentation but blue and green will print closer to black better than red which will print as shades of gray essentially.

Most important of all, experiment, explore, have fun.

If you are interested in Lith printing, get this book by Tim Rudman, Lith guru The Master Photographer's Lith Printing Course: A Definitive Guide to Creative Lith Printing

Buy Moersch Lith Developer and other darkroom supplies here at Freestyle Photographic Supplies , definitely my favorite store!!

Two scanned negs from Mamiya 645e

2010-12-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

Two images from the very first roll of Neopan 400 I put through my Mamiya 645e. Shot with 55mm f/2.8N lens, no filter (wish I have bought at least a yellow filter). Developed with the very last bit of Agfa Rodinal B&W developer I bought from Kaufmans Camera in San Mateo 8 months ago. I am sad that I have now used up my Rodinal :( Tried to bid on an old unopened 500ml bottle of Rodinal yesterday but my slow fingers let me down and I was outbid.

The Mamiya 645e performed admirably. It was light enough with the lens that as long as I have plenty of light I could shoot handheld (otherwise tripod and MLU do the trick). Mamiya 645 MF lenses are tack sharp (and inexpensive). Currently I have the 55mm f/2.8N and 150mm f/4 N lenses, figure I like to shoot landscape and street/documentary photography, the 55mm and 150mm should serve me well. Still debating whether I really want to get the 120mm f/4 macro...

"Church, Scottsdale Old Town, Mamiya 645e, 55mm f/2.8N lens, Neopan 400 Acros, Rodinal developer"
"Graffiti door, downtown Phoenix, Mamiya 645e, 55mm f/2.8N lens, Neopan 400 Acros, Rodinal developer"
I am very glad to have "traded" in the monstrous RB67ProSD for the Mamiya 645e set up. It may sound at first glance that I have traded down. It is just the opposite. The goal here is to increase the "utility value" to me. I am thrilled to be able to take the Mamiya 645e with me on my photography outing now..

Came across photography books on André Kertész (1894-1985) while browsing on eBay for more photography stuffs on my wish list (I am now officially an ebay junkie - only for things related to classic cameras and art stuffs though). I could not resist and finally bought myself a wonderful book - André Kertész: The Polaroids
- a treasure of beautiful Polaroid images taken by the photographer with the Polaroid SX-70 camera, a gift from his friend Nash and wife Susan (of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young). These Polaroid images were taken in his Manhattan apartment "literally" in the late 70s/early 80s. Kertész was already in his 80s and had just lost his beloved wife and companion of four decades......It is a very moving photo book, a story of a highly talented photographer who finally found solace in his art and continued to create these beautiful imagery until his death in 1985

I quote now something from the book,When mystified viewers, many of whom owned the same model of camera, asked how he got such remarkable results, Kertész explained,"You have to learn the limits of the medium, then learn to work on the edges of those boundaries"
How true!! His work speaks volume of his mastery of composition and the magical light.

Just Launched :) My PrintBusinessCards.Com Portfolio

2010-11-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say I have accomplished a lot more lately as far as furthering my photography interests goes, but family has come first and work has been busy.

I landed my hands on a classic Canon QL 17 GIII rangefinder and am ecstatic about it. It belongs to my sister and she acquired it in the early 80s. I had to replace the light seal but that was not too difficult with readily available information shared by others on many blogs and forums. 99 cents 8.5 x 11 black craft foam from Michaels ,some acetone and double sided tape did the trick.

The other notable event was I sold my Mamiya RB67 ProSD with 90mm lens, to fund the acquisition of a Mamiya 645e with two prime lenses. Well, I wanted to shoot more medium format outdoor and the Mamiya 645e is a plastic shell with a metal body and considerably lighter than the monstrous RB67. This means I can take the medium format camera out with me to farmers market and be "slightly" incognito and don't break my back doing so. I have finished putting a roll of Neopan 400 through it and the results are wonderful. Mamiya MF lenses are awesome and very inexpensive today. The images are sharp, crisp!!.

As soon as I can get a decent scan of the images I shot with the Mamiya and Canon rangefinder, I will post them on my blogs. Shall write a review on both cameras.

Dgital is the medium I use most for obvious reasons but traditional black and white film photography is really my ultimate escape :)

Coming back to project no 3, I finally signed up with PrintBusinessCards.com as a contributor. A short learning curve and a few weeks later, I am officially a contributor/artist and so I wanted to share that. Above is a screen grab of my portfolio page...it is good to have another channel to show my work and generate a little income to pay for an expensive (but satisfying) endeavor.... :)

Do check them out Here...added to my To Do List: design 20-30 more templates in the coming weeks.
Cheers...Happy shooting

Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

Working with layers and borders

2010-10-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Working with layers and art borders can be very rewarding especially if you have good photos to use as starting point. Here are a few examples of the end result.

I remember someone once said it can be very addictive if you are the creative type as the possibilities are endless....

"Wallpaper"
"Abstract No 9"
Here I wanted to make the young rider appear in a novel (hence the open pages of an old book)......

"young cowboy"
Hope you like them as much as I do.
Happy shooting and creating

A day of creative fun with Photoshop Elements and Canon Digital Professional Software

2010-09-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

The day started with me trying to figure out how to make a nice looking copyright watermark for my photos using the software I already have in my possession: Photoshop Element 2.0 among other freebies that came with the camera and scanner (yes, I know I really should get a copy of Element 8.0 which has many more features but I am cheap) (wink). While searching on the web hoping to find an update for the Canon EOS Viewer Utility I have, I came across a download for Canon Digital Professional Software on Canon Australia site (link here). It was a fruitful discovery as the EOS Viewer Utility update was nowhere to be found and the Canon Digital Professional Software turned out to be far most powerful. It works like a charm and is rather similar to Lightroom Beta 3.0.

"Santa Monice pier boardwalk at dusk"
I ended up making quite a few copyright layers for future use; grey, faded white, embossed etc. The faded white © was used here as you can see. It is not clearly visible yet it is there in the center of the image so it does not interfere with aesthetics of the image. The process is a breeze once you have done a few and you will be able to make many variations to suit each image. The "©" symbol can be found in Character Map in Windows (My Program -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Character Map). Copy and paste that onto a new layer. Make sure you select transparent for the layer. Once you are happy with the placement of the symbol, adjust the opacity to 15-22% save the file in psd format. Voila, your copyright layer is ready to use. To add to your image, just move or drag it to the image, move it to the position you want (center is the choice), adjust its size with Free Transform. Remember to lock the aspect ratio so it does not turn into some strange looking oblong C.

The above image of three apples came from an uninspiring photo I shot a while back. Despite it being a really flat and boring shot, I thought it has the potential as a starting image for my art. First I tweaked the levels a touch to make it look more dramatic, then a pass with an artistic filter. I also adjusted the stroke width to make it look more impressionist. I then added a little noise to arrive at the resulting antique look. Now it is looking like the old Parisian serving tray I shot the image in. When I get it printed, I shall don an old classic wooden frame around it before it goes up the wall next to my book collection :)

"Three peaches"
Moral of the story? It always helps to have a decent photo to start with. I know that is highly subjective but after a while you will be able to spot one that holds promise and one that is going to be a disaster no matter what you do to it. The above photo was a shot I almost deleted. My camera was set on a tripod but the peach in front swayed just as I clicked the shutter resulting in a distracting fleeting shadow. Here I tweaked the RGB colors individually and adjusted the hues which produced a rather pleasing image in the end.

I had a day of creative fun. I am going to print at least one of them in a poster size format using an online print shop, which will really be the test if my rendition is any good......I shall post a follow up blog then.

Here is the link to Canon Digital Professional Software in case someone is interested.

Mother and Child at the Beach

2010-08-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I remember this day vividly. It was a gorgeous summer day in southern California. I was up early that day, my camera backpack was there all packed ready to go. I always enjoy spending a few hours on weekend driving along the beautiful coast, stopping to take pictures. A peaceful quiet morning on Pacific Coast Highway (fondly called PCH), only bright jersey clad cyclists and a few fancy cars on the road. It was still early, traffic usually does not pick up on PCH on a Sunday morning until after 10 o'clock. My Sunday routine would conclude with a stroll on the boardwalk at the pier in Santa Monica, a cuppa of morning latte in my hand.

It was indeed a glorious day at the pier. Southern California is blessed with many days like this. It was a refreshing morning walk and one that rejuvenates my soul. As I walk along the boardwalk, I saw a mother and child, beach towels in hand, ready to spend a blissful day together. It was a beautiful scene, a series of shots which I would later capture with my Canon 10D and 70-200 f/4L zoom. Below is one of them available for sale on BigStock

Buy this image of mine at Bigstock

It was a very endearing picture that warms my heart....a young girl and her mommy enjoying a day at the beach together. No TV, no electronic games, just sand castles and each other. After a few minutes, the young girl was happy the towel no longer has any sand, she put the towel down on her mommy and gave her mommy a big hug......

Online Gallery and CafePress

2010-04-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

I have made a change to where I host my photography, I decided to give ClusterShot a try. Why? I like the professional look and the watermark tool that comes with the Pro Account. The site looks professional, simple and easy to navigate (no print/print shop tie up though, something to consider if that is important to you). Storefront features are still a little bare bone at this juncture being a new site. The photographer sets the selling price and, hopefully ClusterShot do a lot of marketing and get pageviews and buyers to the site. For me, it is a place to showcase some of my work. On my part, the gallery links on my blog will help drive traffic to my storefront. I have only just joined, so this in some ways is still a test drive. So far so good, and yes, I closed my account at Smugmug (no major reason that prompted my decision but the simple look and feel of ClusterShot fits my need better).

If you want to check it out ClusterShot, here is a link to my ClusterShot gallery

Now, onto other avenues to sell one's work. I have had a store on CafePress for some time now, never gotten around to updating it with my latest images since setting it up. Occasionally there would be a sale or two here and there, nothing to shout about but it always puts a smile on my face each time. It is nice someone likes my photography enough to want to buy something with my photography on it:) Most folks found them through web searches, perhaps for a specific gift for someone or for themselves, a unique T-shirt, sweat shirt or a cotton tote bag (my favorite). Here are two of my own favorites:
CafePress link
I have always loved everything cotton, T's, totes. I find them comfortable and durable. This preference is probably rooted since childhood growing up in Southeast Asia. With day time temperature often in the high 90s if one is not standing in the shade, a cotton T-shirt keeps the sweltering heat at bay and one's body cool whether rain or shine. I recalled while we were on our sailboat anchoring in Bahia Santa Maria on the Baja coast, we exchanged some old T-shirts (we did not have any new ones barter) for 3 fresh gigantic lobsters from the Baja fishermen (they never tasted so good). So I am old fashioned, I treasure my comfy cotton t's until they are totally worn out. Also, cotton is a natural material, so it is more bio-degradeble and better for the environment than many man made synthetic material we clothe ourselves in today.

CafePress Link
Anyway, not to digress. Back to stock photography. Things have been a little tumultous of late, small sites getting acquired by the big guys and even smaller ones had disappeared as recession hit severely affecting demand for stock photos by the advertisers and web designers. Many saw their income from stock photography sites stagnant and some saw significant reduction. However, it is a good time to bury deep and perfect one's craft, tighten's one photography portfolio, by that I mean focus on a genre or two one excels in and be really good at it. Most important of all, I think enjoy doing photography. Used equipment have gotten much cheaper of late. I found myself acquiring an extra camera equipment or accessory here and there like in the case of the RB67 ProSD camera set for a mere $280. Finally it does not hurt to explore new avenues to sell one's photos, whether that is on CafePress, ImageKind, Etsy, Blurb, or a host of others.

Click here to go to my online gallery at ClusterShot

Last but not least, it is important to have a website/an online gallery to showcase one's work if one could find a reasonably priced deal. It all depends on your needs and the message you want to communicate, whether you do this for a living or as a hobby. In my case, ClusterShot works for me and so I decided to use the site to show my photography.

A memorable outing to Niles Canyon

2010-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year and work has me buried with no time left for photography. As such, I have only been able to run two rolls of 120 films through my new "used" RB67 Pro SD I bought in Feb. This past weekend I finally had the negs scanned by a "pro" lab so I could use them for my blog entry. I have to say I am not entirely happy with the resulting scan, the overall color seems off with a light blue hue to it. Since I won't be able to do any darkroom printing myself for a few more weeks, I will have to contend with using these scanned images for now. The negs do look 200% better on my lightbox.

Below are a few images from the second roll. It was a Neopan 400. What happeded to roll #1? Ah, that is an embarassing story, I messed it up. (and it was a Velvia! uugh!!) How? you ask. Simply, I loaded the film the wrong way, with the paperback facing the camera body. Not until I was removing the exposed film from the cassette did I realise I had made such a blunder! (silly me. It is easy to do though. The way the cassette comes apart for loading can be confusing first time around. Long story short, I learned my lesson and I will never do it again)

"stone statuette of a child playing at the park, entrance to Sunol city park, RB67 Pro SD, 95mm f/3.5, low res digital scan"
Did not have to work that day, sunday March 28th for a change, and I was looking for a new place to visit for photography. A good friend had told me about Niles Canyon a charming town of quaint saloon style storefront....It sounded rather promising and off I went, heading northeast early morning on 680N. Gorgeous oak studded hills and crisp fresh morning breeze greeted me as I drove on Niles Canyon road along Alameda Creek. Unfortunately there was no way I could pull over for photography as the 7 mile long winding country road was also rather narrow. Population of about 900, (I was told), Niles Canyon has one main street of beautifully restored saloon style shops (remember old westerns?), a beautiful church named "the Little Brown Church of Sunol" built in 1885, a small post office, a city park and a historic Sunol train depot (circa 1884). Nestled in the charming hideaway are many private homes, pied-à-terre for some perhaps and homes for others that I would be imagine are so inviting to come home or escape to on weekends.

"A man chatting with the crew of locomotive 2472 before the train set out on its 5 mile excursion. RB67 ProSD, 95mm f/3.5, Fuji Neopan 400, low res digital scan, Lightroom Beta Sepia filter"
As you can see, I got lucky :) The Sunday morning I was there happened to be the weekend of the first of three Golden Gate Railroad Museum excursions of 2010. Organized in partnership with the Pacific Locomotive Association, the Golden Gate Railroad Museum train ride takes families aboard vintage Southern Pacific locomotive No. 2472 through the beautiful canyon hills. Many families came to join the fun and kids got their history lesson. There were photographers from as far as Santa Cruz and it was a real treat for all.

"Crew of locomotive 2472, (a scene one could only find in the movies today perhaps?). RB67 ProSD, 95mm f/3.5 Fuji Neopan 400, low res digital scan, Lightroom Beta Aged Photo filter"

"Southern Pacific locomotive 2472, Canon 10D, Tamron 17-35"

Finally for all you steam engine enthusiasts, here is a link to Golden Gate Railroad Museum, one of the organizers of the March 27-28, 2010 excursions. Be sure to mark your calendar for the next family event.

Livermore Wine Country and Altamont Pass Wind Farm

2010-02-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

The weather was wintry, forecaster had called for a partly cloudy day. I wanted to take a drive and get some fresh air away from the city and thought I should venture out to Livermore to see how the grapevines are shaping up thus far. Northern California has had a whole year's worth of rain already - could it wreck havocs to the year's vintage? I wonder...Anyhow, my excuse for driving 50 minutes northeast to the pretty rolling hills countryside despite the menacing rain clouds hovering over my head most of the journey. .
I was not too optimistic about getting decent shots. Well, the sky did clear (long enough for me to take a couple of nice shots of the wind generators towering on the hills along Altamont Pass). I did not really mind the cloudy sky, to me it just added to the mood. The intermittent sun and dark clouds and its shadows falling on the rolling pastures made for beautiful landscape. There is always photo ops I reminded myself. The real reason for my little escape today was that I had acquired a nice (well used) Mamiya RB67 Pro SD with 90mm f/3.5 KL/L lens and a 120 film back last Sat all for a mere $280 and I have been dying to use it. I had a roll of 120 Velvia in hand and thought I should take it out for a "test drive". The RB67 Pro SD is soooo heavy, weighs a good 6+ lbs not counting my tripod :(. I weigh a mere 110 lbs and have a 5 ft frame!! This is going to be fun.....My shoulder will probably hurt tonight but what did they say about chasing your hobby (my passionate pursuit of something called photography). I had just the right backpack for it though....a new backpack I got last Xmas (it even has a touch of champagne pink fabric on the front) See pictures below. It is pretty large but not overly large for me, with straps on both sides so I could strap a tripod on it (barely though) (the main selling point of the backpack). I was able to pack my RB67 ProSD body with the 90mm lens and 120 film back, my Pentax digital spotmeter, Canon 10D with a wide angle lens and even a Holga which I had a couple of frames left that I wanted to finish. I quickly loaded everything in my car, and drove north on 680 and then 84 in the direction of Livermore at 7:30am.

A few comments from the trip:

First of all I love the RB67 ProSD...I am all smitten by it. The waist level viewfinder is so very bright, what a world apart from the viewfinder of 35mm SLR. Second, there are a few safety locks so one will never accidentally click that shutter without cocking the level and winding the film forward. Third, multi exposure on same frame is a breeze, just set it and adjust for stops and shoot away. Fourth, I don't have to rotate the entire camera to change from vertical to horizontal shot or vice versa, just rotate the film back, WOW!! (that is such a brilliant idea). Finally, it is all mechanical, no worries of camera battery dying on me just when that perfect moment presents itself!!

It is HEAVY!!! but it is such a joy to use....The only way for me to use it is to shoot on a tripod (a good habit anyway)

The images posted above were from my Canon 10D, as I need to finish the roll of 120 Velvia and as soon as I have it develop, I will update with some images...can't wait.

Finally, this is the day I decided to leave all my Canon DSLR lenses at home except for the wide angle because it would simply be way too heavy. I wish I had them expecially the 70-210 f/4. Anyhow, I had also inadvertently set the image size on the Canon 10D to small (uugh)!!! I was so grateful I had shot a roll of Velvia on the RB67, I never have to worry about accidentally setting the wrong image size with film camera. I was reminded of how pros used polaroid to do test shots before the advent of digital camera. Well mine sure look like polaroid samples now, good for web use:(. So much for agonizing over whether to leave my other lenses at home. On a good note, I did find a couple of spots that would be awesome for black and white photography and as soon as my films arrive from Adorama this week, I shall head out there to shoot more!!

"my beloved new backpack" It has a rather large top camera compartment where I put the medium format camera and a second bottom compartment for a second camera, seen here in the picture. Here is a link to Amazon's Cuscus Amazon store I can't seem to find the same backpack on their store anymore, I remember reading that it was out of stock. They have some really nice hiking backpacks tho :)
Find Camera Backpackson Amazon

Looks like dust spots have found their way into my Canon 10D again, time to cough out some money to get the sensor cleaned again!! With film cameras, one never have to worry about sensor dust spots.

A footnote about the wind farm, these towering wind generators do make a constant swirling (humming) noise (sort of like sound of a quiet engine running constantly). It is very audible indeed at the foothills some 400 ft down and I understand now why some farmers in the midwest objected to their neighbors starting a wind farm as a way to subsidize their farm income

Forces of Nature at Work at the Mavericks at Half Moon Bay

2010-02-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is my second weekend in San Jose, I had initially planned to drive to the coast yesterday, Capitola or Half Moon Bay, my two favorite NO CA beach towns but in the end settled on more pressing task at hand - that of clearing my stuffs out of storage. Yesterday was the day of the famous Mavericks Surf competition with top surfers from around the world. Local evening news were reporting moderate size waves Friday and they were not sure if there would be good wave actions for the competition. The organizers were optimistic though. When I got back to the house, I saw the competition had made news nationwide, the giant 40-50 foot waves and two rogue waves that had swept onto the beach where the breakwaters and the organizer's tents were set up and swept a group of spectators off their feet, seriously injuring quite a number of them. The location of the bay explained how that could happen, ridges underneath the ocean a few miles out meant that given the right element the waves could build and become much larger as they approach the shoreline. I learned later that the waves were the largest waves ever, 40-50 ft high and adrenaline rush for even the most accomplished surfers. If I had gone to watch the competition, I probably would have ventured out to the beach to get a close shot of the surfers riding the giant waves, instead of shooting from the cliffs above...I could easily have been one of those injured....Scary thought.

Link to the story in San Jose Mercury News
Heavy surfs at Mavericks injured at least 15 spectators

An article I wrote awhile back about Half Moon Bay

Santana Row, Silicon Valley's answer to Rodeo Drive

2010-02-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

In the Bay area for a project again, more specifically in San Jose. Was fortunate enough to find a place to stay near Santana Row and so I took the opportunity to take a morning stroll to Santana Row today, my very first weekend in town. There was light drizzle and intermittent sun. I enjoyed a nice cuppa of latte at Starbucks, read the morning paper and proceeded to do a bit of photography.

If you have never been to Santana Row, you must plan a visit soon. It is the most trendy place in town, with chic stores, restaurants, wine bars, and luxury apartments atop the fashionable boulevards. A place where the young and fashionable would want to be seen and hang out with friends. It is easy to get to on 280 exiting at Winchester, a quick drive from Silicon Valley. Starbucks and Peet's coffee complete both ends of the two large city blocks. I mustn't forget to mention the weekly Sunday farmers market there that is popular with local folks adn visitors alike. See links below for listings of Farmers markets in the area.

Santana Row was built to rival Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and it is as charming and upscale as the famed Rodeo streets. Sidewalks lined with flowers and wooden lazy chairs to relax in next to the many gardens and fountains that make the area a city oasis. For all you jazz fans out there, the San Jose Summer Jazz festivals kicks off late August so mark your calendar.

San Jose Mercury News Farmers market listing

An alternate listing of farmers market in the Bay Area listing.

A Wonderful Visit to Old Tucson Studios

2010-01-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Finally made it to Tucson yesterday.......magnificent blue sky, expansive landscape welcomed us as we headed east towards Tuscon on 10. I have never seen such a beautiful clear day, devoid of haze and the usual desert dusts, courtesy of the torrential downpour of the past 4 days. The time of the day seem suited for the kind of photography I wanted to do, old rugged western town and an arid desert backdrop. It was between 2-4pm, good hard shadows, and a beautiful sky of puffy white clouds. Starting out almost noon, we only managed to visit one place - Old Tucson Studios it was well worth the 2 hours drive from Phoenix. See pictures below.

I am definitely not done with Tuscon yet ...... downtown 4th street Old Pueblo area is next and I am heading back to this place for more photography.

I shot both digital and flim/slides. This time I went a little more prepared. I even had my Holga with me and was able to get a couple of frames on the Velvia 120 slide film. The only regret was we had arrived late and we had only a little over an hour before the studio closed for the day. A little history of the place for those who love old Western classoc: Old Tucson Studios hosted over 300 film and television productions since 1939, including many Western film classics such as "Tomstone, The Outlaw", and others starrring John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor, Kurt Russell and the likes. The roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 that I have been carrying around with me since my visit to Sedona was finally finished and I am developing the roll today. Can't wait.

Having now visited Apache Junction, Goldfield Ghost Town in the east, Sedona in the north, downtown Phoenix, Tempe and its university town and now a bit of Tucson, Tucson wins top spot hands down as far as photoshoot location in Arizona (thus far until more destinations are added :)). The landscape enroute on 10E was breathtaking, tall cacti flourishing in the parks, wild flowers are starting to bloom. It was a Saturday and cyclists were out on their mountain bikes tackling the gorgeous challenging terrain. A hike in the park around the Old Tucson Studios is in order as soon as the weather warms up a little....There is so much to photograph, dramatic desert landscape, nature, old Western movie sets, cowboys, horses and more. A feast for the eyes and my beloved cameras.....It was a good day - a GREAT Day!!

Of all the film sets, Chinese Alley was my absolute favorite....it was a little of the old Chinatown if you will, all before your eyes....

More photos of Old Tucson Studios taken yesterday on my Smugmug page here : JC's Old Tucson Studios Photo page

Click here to go to Old Tucson Studios website

GIMP 2.6 - Mixed Media Experiments

2010-01-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

This was quite refreshing. I started with two of my favorite photos I took some time back. The first an image I took of two young girls, two latino sisters, playing in the sand on the beach at Santa Monica Pier, their pretty long hair blowing in summer breeze. It was a much cherished photo in my own collection. Ever since I took that picture (image available for download on stock photo sites), a different image has formed in my mind, that of it taking on an impressionist look, perhaps of an oil painting or a water color feel to it. I wanted to paint the image on canvas then a thought came to mind that I should work with GIMP's artistic filters to see what it would look like. Well, below are the end results. I am actually a little embarrassed, because I had just transformed my photo into art using GIMP filters (the wonderful software technology) and not with my paint brushes. talk about feeling guilty :(

The second photo was that of a lone canoeist kayaking in the channels of Santa Barbara harbor on a beautiful Sunday morning. I had driven up to Santa Barbara with my sister who was visiting from the east Coast. While strolling along the boardwalk and soaking in the beautiful scenery, I saw canoeist pulling into one of the channels dotted with sailboats tied to their slips. I sprang to action, shot a couple of frames and they are some of my favorites. It was a perfect day, blue sky, sailboats reflecting in turquoise water.

This was probably the first time I have truly tested GIMP ever since I installed it on my laptop a few months back. I am a Photoshop user, and until now have used GIMP sparingly. All in all, GIMP operates very similarly to Photoshop CS. The only things to be mindful of is that it does crash from time to time, not major and all I have to do is relaunch it. Apparently they have fixed it in later versions. GIMP is a freeware, and I could not have asked for more from an open source freeware.

If you want to really dig in and use all the functionalities of this great freeware, you can spend a little money getting this book Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional, Second Editionfrom Amazon. It is a mere $31 and well worth the money!!

Sedona, Apache Junction and Superstition Mountain

2010-01-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post. I have been busy attending to family matters and that always comes first. In the meantime, we relocated to Glendale, Arizona over Thanksgiving holiday and that was a feat in itself, packing up the hundreds of books we have acquired over the years and treasures and trinkets we collected. The reason for the move was two-fold. First, a better project had come along for him and second, the opportunity for me to be in Arizona made this an easy decision. The lure of the beautiful US Southwest canyon landscape, seeing them first hand and visiting the many national parks in Arizona and New Mexico, and Sante Fe and Taos only half a day's drive away, the move was a dream come true. Though Washington was only my home in the winter months, the cold and gloomy wintry weather in southern Washington had taken a toll in me. I was missing the sunshine I had become so accustomed to and it was time to have a new adventure.....

We situated ourselves rather quickly in Arizona soon after we arrived into town and went about exploring the area the following weekend.

"movie memorabilia of the Apacheland film set, was told many famous western movie scenes were made there"

"The Church at Superstition Mountain, Apache Creek, Arizona"
Both photos above were from our day trip to Superstition Mountain, Apache Junction and Goldfield Ghost Town. Pictures below from our trip to Sedona, both places warrant many more trips in Spring and Fall for serious photography. I will be up there again as soon as my schedule permits. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be come Spring with wildflowers in the valley beds amidst the majestic towering red rocks and mesas.

"Arid desert landscape along Highway 17N before Prescott, AZ"

"Stunningly beautiful red walls and mesas, sculptored by forces of nature, shades of red, brown and peach and every color in between. A feast for the eyes. Sedona, AZ"

Testing out Lightroom 3 Beta...I Like It

2009-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Lightroom 3 Beta is available for download. I am thrilled and jumped on the opportunity to try it out. I have never used Lightroom until now so this blog is not about comparing the features of the current version and to the features of newer Beta version but rather my experience as someone new to the Lightroom image editing software. This is a standalone program so one does not need to have Photoshop CS to use it, although it certainly would be nice to run them side by side.

Having tried it out for 2 days rather thoroughly I might say, I found it to be very easy to use, and that says a lot since I was to Lightroom until this point. I was able to quickly import my pictures onto the library, at which point I could "develop" it, i.e. post process the image to my heart's content (adjust for exposure, brightness, vibrance, saturation and the likes, add vignetting and other creative stuffs). Adding watermark was a breeze, Open "Edit the watermark", type in your text, position it where you want, save and you have it as a preset. When you export the file, you can select to export with the presets or filters. You can add Photo title, add keywords, save keywords to be used later on another image. On the Print menu one could make frame border, select border color, and the Web feature comes with numerous templates ranging from simple single image to html and flash, allowing one to prep files for online upload to your server.

This photo (canoes on a lake taken by my sister) was further tweaked in Lightroom 3 Beta. I adjusted the "black" and "vibrance" channels slightly to enhance the effect

All in all, I like it. The Beta version expires in April 2010 essentially giving everyone a great editing software to use for free for 6 months. I would encourage everyone to do so (link below). A word of caution, the file is rather large, 120MB and you will need some RAM to run it smoothly. I am using it on my laptop which has 3GB RAM and 250HD and at times it seemed a little slow particularly on large files. That is the only issue I encountered thus far.
Link to Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta download

Lightroom 3 won't be available until late Spring next year. If you can't wait, must have one now :) you can order the very popular Lightroom 2 for $263.49 from Amazon Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

or from Bhphotovideo Here for about the same price

Searching for photo op...yea, it is one of those days

2009-10-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Fall color is almost gone after two long weeks of downpour in the Pacific Northwest, autumn leaves are now scattered about the lawn. The weather has really played havoc this year and I wonder if that foretells what winter will bring. Fresh in mind was the huge flood that shut down the low lying section of I-5 in Washington state which caused me to delay my drive south to San Francisco for the project.

Nevertheless, I tried to stay positive, I am like a fish out of the water whenever I am not out doing photography....I said to myself there is always photo ops no matter what the weather holds. Looking at the photos below, perhaps all is not lost :)

"Autumn Song"
Canoes, ever so elegant. Perched on the water by the pier, you find them gently rocking away, creating perfect ripples with their every breath. Casting a soft shadow at sunset and again when the day breaks....It is a priceless solitude, wouldn't it be nice to take her out for a paddle........

"solitude"
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'Web Style Guide" - Looking for Ideas?

2009-10-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

If you are a photography enthusiast thinking about building a better website, you might want to read Web Style Guideby Lynch and Horton. I finished reading the book (352 page long) in one afternoon last Saturday, it was that good! I have read a few web design/html books in the past (I am not a geek) and most of them left me more discouraged than ever. This book on the other hand explains what makes a good website and the different page elements and contents one could have to make a nice website, the trade offs, all in plain language, as well as the very important subject of SEO (search engine optimization). As an avid photographer, I found the chapters on Web Page Structure and Design, Graphics and Multimedia and the illustrations extremely useful. In addition, the book contains many great tips and design ideas. Having read this wonderful book, I am definitely better prepared now to start thinking about my new website.

""Web Style Guide, 3rd edition: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites"by Patrick J Lynch and Sarah Horton

Editorial Reviews from Amazon

". . . a non-geeky Web-design primer-a rule-of-thumb guide that calmly introduces you to the issues involved in developing a Web site. . . . what you need to know about Web-site design in plain language, with understandable examples. . . . this . . . book is a gem."-Mary Creswell, Presentations (Mary Creswell Presentations )

"Just as many writers reserve a space on their book shelves for the thin but essential work of William Strunk and E.B. White, a similar space should be hallowed out for The Web Style Guide."-John Mello, HR Today (John Mello HR Today )

"This is one of the best design books that I''ve seen, catering specifically to information-oriented sites. . . . The Web would be an easier world to navigate if all Web designers read this book."-Deborah Lynne Wiley, Online (Deborah Lynne Wiley Online )

"[A]n excellent, practical handbook. . . . [T]he book can be unreservedly recommended."-Tom Wilson, Information Research (Tom Wilson Information Research )

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Bali on my mind.....

2009-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Wish I was more productive these past couple of weeks when essentially I have been in hiatus. Since returning from my 6 month stay in San Francisco, I desperately wanted to get some of my pet projects off the ground. I have not shot anything new for stock photography, wanted to see how things shake out with all the consolidation that is happening in the industry. Having said that I have seen increased downloads lately after a really tepid summer. I am saving every penny I made from stock photography as I have a lens I really want to get.

"Bali...you are in my mind"
Playing around with Photoshop CS2, I had set my sights on a print pattern in my head. My photo as the original image, working with earth tone, or was it tuscan red? It could be that the late summer weather in the Pacific Northwest this year has influenced my color selection, may be....I am a warm blooded soul, the warmth of a pretty summer day lifts my spirit. I enjoy sitting on the verandah, sipping iced tea, reading a book, enjoying the simple scenery aorund me, my mind wondering to a distant shore.

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I would start with a photo that has quite a few colors and proceeded to work in different filters layer by layer. This one came from a photo of a garden taken at Boston Harbor in Olympia this past weekend. I worked on the pattern until it jumped out at me, and I stopped. As it unfolded infront of my eyes, my mind was transported back to the magical island of Bali, women dressed in pretty Indonesian batik sarongs. Life is slow, often those who set foot never leave...it is true. The people are forever so hospitable, the scenery so idyllic befitting of a tropical paradise.

While you are thinking about Bali and plotting your next get away, you might want to pick up the following books:

Hush in the morning

2009-08-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite photo subject - flowers

Hush in the morning......leaving for my destination early morning when the light is just breaking. Enjoying my stroll in the garden, I wait for the soft light to cast its magic. My favorite shot is always with the dew drops still on the petals, the mist in the air from the sprinklers. To me photography is always about capturing the light, and I click the shutter away. I am so thoroughly happy, enjoying the view, capturing that one flower in many different light. Seizing the moment, I am savoring the scene with every click. My morning routine never fails to wake up my senses (rather differently I might say from what one gets from a good cuppa of latte). It is so invigorating that I could do it over and over again. Sometimes I feel as if I had walked into the garden of Givenchy, seeing a Monet painting so vividly in my mind. The song "Morning has broken" by Cat Stevens is ringing in my ears. There is a good reason why I am a morning person. I think it is going to stay that way forever....:)

At last, I am going to be selling my work directly for the first time...It is going to be at a local fair this weekend in Palo Alto. If you are in the area, do come by and check them out. Palo Alto Music Boosters Market (50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA) Saturday, August 8, between 9-3pm. Not sure what my booth number will be but if you walk around, you will find me. The pieces I will have are my flower photography images on beautiful white or black matboard in 11x14 and 8x10. They are ready to be framed and go up on your wall. I have not prepared many pieces but a sampling of my best flower shots. You can see more of my flower photography at Smugmug. All my work on Smugmug are available for order. Contact me via email link at the top right hand corner of my blog or via the email on my Smugmug gallery if you are interested in acquiring my work.

To see more of my flower photography, click on Spring Blossoms to go to my nature gallery hosted at Smugmug. You will be able to buy them tomorrow at the fair.

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Rhapsody in blue

2009-07-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

The image below was a result of considerable post processing in Photoshop, starting with an original photo I took as the source image. I had adjusted the curves, saturation and hues and when I arrived at the image/art I wanted, I further cropped the image into 4 squares and increased the pixels in each of them resulting in a fluid glass like mosaic art. Out of the four in a series, below is my favorite creation. The image reminds me very much of the tiled bathroom in my old condo when I lived in Asia. I had gone to great length and had the bedroom painted deep blue. The bathroom was put through a complete remodel with a new tiled bath tub put in. The small square tiles were pretty ocean blue in color and they lined the entire bath tub which needed an additional water heater to fully fill it. The walls of the bathroom were laid with 12x12 inch blue tiles, so essentially when I walked into the bathroom from my bedroom, it was as if I had walked into a hideaway in the deep ocean. I would come home from work, put a music CD in the player (usually a Mozart Horn Concertos or a Barbara Streisand), turn the volume up, pour myself a nice glass of red wine, and decompress my brain.....while I relaxed in the bath tub. It was all so very soothing.....I am missing my old sweet pad already...

"Rhapsody in blue"
There has been an interesting and at times very passionate debate over the question of "when is photography considered fine art" in one of LinkedIn Group Forums. To follow the debate, click on this link. My first comment (#4 by JC) had stirred up a hornet's nest unbeknownst to me :( The very passionate debate only serves to re-inforce the notion that one's creative pursuit is indeed a very personal and intimate journey. In my opinion, there is really no clear line between the two genres. Ultimately it is in the eyes of the beholder, in that something special that connects the author and the audience that determines an image's worth to the beholder......

First run off the "printing press" - the Beseler 23C II Condenser Enlarger that is

2009-06-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Getting hooked on photography is a bit like getting bitten by the golf bug. First, you spent way too much money to get your hobby started. Then you get on this train and at every stop you talk yourself into buying an extra photography gear or two, some you need, some you don't but you want them because you might need them....It is happening all over again....I used to spend eight hours on the green on weekends when I was doing my corporate gig, now, I am spending that same many hours shooting, processing and printing in my makeshift darkroom creating my photography/art :).

"f/5.6, 6 seconds, Grade 2 paper. Plus X 125 film, Canoscan 8400T scan"
This is going to sound a little crazy. I already own an Omega B66 b&w enlarger which I bought for $40 off CL 2 years back and have printed very successfully from it (after tweaking it and adding ND filter to increase printing time). Unfortunately, I am in the Bay Area for a couple of months without it and desperately wanted to print (my creative pursuit). I checked out what is left in the rental darkroom scene from San Jose to San Francisco, and decided that they are too expensive since they go by the hour or a combination of one time membership fee plus a reduced hourly fee. I much prefer the comfort of printing at home in peace. So, you guess it, I bought another enlarger off CL again. This time it is the Beseler 23C II (the earlier version with the blue condenser enlarger head). Paid $120 for it. Besides the enlarger, there were a nice timer, a safe light, 4 negative carriers including 4.5x6 and 6x6 beg carriers, extra 38mm and 80mm enlarging lens, an almost new Saunders 4 blade 11x14 easel, 10+ stainless steel developing reels and tanks, and "several hundreds" of dollars of old fiber papers from 8x10 all the way to 16x20, still in their boxes and sealed. If 1/10th of the papers were any good, I would have recovered more than what I paid for, and the Beseler 23C II would be a bonus!! There was also a box of Zone VI Studios Grade 2 papers in the pile, I understand they were the standard until Multigrade papers came along.

"f/5.6, #3 filter, Ilford Multigrade warm tone paper, 8 seconds, SPX 200, Canoscan 8400T scan"
So I proceeded to set up my makeshift darkroom. There were two windows and a door that needed to be light tight. I taped the windows with black plastic sheeting from Home Depot and created a temporary workbench for the trays by putting a 2x4 plywood panel also from Home Depot over two plastic cabinets. Bought a fresh developer and stop bath from Kaufman's camera, and they "donated" a piece of perspex for my contact print (it worked). Printing was done after sundown (now you see why I wish the sun would set sooner so I get a few extra hours of printing at night). After some experimenting, I was able to settle into the printing routine.

A few notes:
I used RC paper for contact print, at 3-5 sec increments, depending on the tone/contrast
After looking at the contact print, I decided to test print an image I shot at the recent Cinco de Mayo parade in San Jose on Zone VI Studio Grade 2. There was more contrast on the contact print than I wanted so I thought printing on Grade 2 paper would be a good compromise (I am still waiting for my filter pack to arrive). See the first image above of the young boy dressed in cowboy attire getting ready for the parade...the old Zone VI Grade 2 fiber paper probably gave the print its warm and aged look.....still experimenting....

The daisy shot (above) on the other hand was printed on regular Multigrade Fiber Paper with a #3 filter. When I looked at the contact print, it had nice shadows and highlights (the #3 filter was the only filter that came with the enlarger). I like the result, particularly the grain, which was very visible when enlarging to 11x14. I might add this was shot with Ilford Harman Infrared SPX200 (with orange filter). It was the first time I used Ilford SPX 200 and I love it. It has a nice soft tonal range and the highlights are a touch ghost white while the shadows are soft black, nice tonal range overall. Looking at how my scenics and still life turned out, I will definitely be shooting a lot more of the Ilford Infrared SPX 200 film.

Ansco Speedex/Agfa Medium Format Rangefinder

2009-06-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Went at the Palo Alto flea market last Sunday, I was hoping the seller I bought my baby Yashica TLR camera from two months ago would be there this time. I remember seeing an old rangefinder that looked like an Agfa and he had wanted $50 then. (This was part of the lot of film cameras and saxophones he had successfully bidded on at a Public Storage auction). Sure enough the rangefinder camera was there. It was an Ansco Speedex with Apotar 85mm f/4.5 lens, made in Germany in 1956 by Agfa for the US market. The body was a bit old, but the lens looked clean and shutter fired fine. I asked him what he wanted for it, hoping it would be less, he said $20 (he wanted $50 two months back). I offered him $10, "$15" he replied. I played with it for a bit, and said "what about $12, I am not really sure if this camera can be used for any serious photography". I had just told him that the Yashica I bought from him works ok but shutter speeds <1/30 are off (I am still working out the kinks). Anyhow, we settled on $12 and I was very pleased with my find, knowing full well may be this very old camera will not be up to the task and will be relegated to a place on my shelf and that is fine.

"Ansco Speedex 4.5"
To make the long story short, after returning home with it, I went online, did some more research, found tips on how to check for light leaks expected of old folder cameras. Basically, one shines a bright light into the bellow in darkness and see if there are any pinholes. If yes, try patching it with black fabric paint - a temporary fix I would imagine :(

OK. now the not so good news, yes, I found at least 7-8 pinholes which I fixed by painting them with black fabric paint from Michaels. The focusing lens also appeared stuck from lack of use which can be expected of old cameras but hey for $12, I can afford to work on it. I wrapped a towel around it and try to turn it a few times and after a few attempts, it moved. I then turned it counterclockwise and clockwise a few more times to loosen it and that did the trick, the turning became much smoother. Next, I wiped the lens clean with my camera lens cleaning fluid. Now the camera is ready for a roll of 120 film. Film loading is similar to any other medium format cameras and the Holgas, one moves the empty spool from right to left and insert the new film in the space on the right. However, it took me a long while to figure out that the rewind knob can be pulled up so the empty spool can be inserted, silly me. This was because the rewind knob was also a little stuck from old age. Sometimes the most obvious thing is not really obvious at all.

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Voila, now the camera is ready to use. This is still a basic medium format rangefinder, nothing fancy but allows me a lot more control (shutter speed, aperture, focus) than the Holga (and no light leaks - I am keeping my fingers crossed that I have fixed all the pinholes). One's knowledge of the "sunny 16 rule" will definitely help here. I might add that I recently picked up a digital Pentax 1 Deg Spotmeter for $165 from a photographer in Mill Valley - definitely one of the best investments I made. I use it when I need help in determining the right exposure in challenging situations and for scenics, so with that I am ready to rock and roll with the Ansco/Agfa rangefinder :)

Pentax Digital 1 Deg SpotmeterFor various types of spotmeters available, check out selections at Bhphotovideo

What can I tell you, there are just a ton of great film camera bargains out there today if one looks for them. One does not need fancy camera to take good photography, just a good eye for composition and a feeling for the light. With so many digital cameras flooding the market, great film cameras have become orphaned and can now be had for a tiny fraction of what they used to cost. Film cameras often last you a lifetime, they never become outdated the way digital cameras do the minute you walk out of the store. When I was at Kaufman's camera in San Mateo recently to buy paper developing chemicals, they had jokingly asked me if I am one of the "hold-outs". To which I replied "definitely". I have not abandoned digital photography, it is what I do half the time and it has its place in the modern world. However, nothing can ever replace shooting with film, developing and printing in the wet room. It is a labor of love and much much more satisfying....The only analogy I can think of is perhaps crushing grapes from your backyard grapevines and making your precious bottle of wine?

If your entry into the world of photography has been by way of digital camera, then you must give film (b&w that is) a try, It is a very enlightening experience, a beautiful world in black and white and shades of gray with no distraction. The images are often powerful and they leave you lusting for more......

Keep film and chrome alive, support these stores, read my blog review on three Bay Area film labs

A good place to shop for used equipment is KEH.com

RawShooter software and a trip to the coast

2009-06-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, while on my second visit to Santa Cruz and Capitola, I made a series of shots of classic cars parked in the city square in Capitola. The end of the pier next to the Fish and Tackle shop were a dozen or so wooden canoes painted in red and blue....a colorful sight and I clicked my shutter away. A perfect day to be spending time in the popular seaside town, temperature was in the low 70s and light breeze in the air and sailboats in the harbor. We looked at each other and concluded that a glass of wine and lunch was in order. We proceeded to a restaurant with a view of the ocean and had a sumptuous lunch, the day could not be more perfect!!!

Softwares such as Photoshop, RawShooter, Topaz and Photomatix offer the creative photographer a mirade of tools to explore the boundaries of art and photography. (Click here to read my blog on HDR photography) A new software I recently added to my photo tool box is RawShooter. A standalone freeware that has sped up my post processing workflow tremendously. RAW files are displayed as thumbnails for quick preview and one can further group them into various priority folders for post processing or to send to Recycle Bin. Post processing has never been easier and adjustments made are saved as settings under "RW Settings" folder, leaving your original RAW files untouched. There is the usual "slide ruler" adjustment on exposure, saturation, highlight, shadow, saturation, hue, color temperature, tint much like in Photoshop. When you are done post processing the image, go to the "Batch Convert" tab and add your selected photos to the list. RawShooter will then apply your post processing settings to a copy of the RAW file and store the the processed image in a "Converted" folder in tiff format. Any changes you made are made to a copy of the RAW files and not the original which remains in your folder unaltered.

What a great software and it is FREE!! I have started reviewing all my old photo RAW files, giving it a spring cleaning and freezing up some much needed space on my external photo hard drive. Anyone who shoots RAW know how tedious post processing workflow can be, I highly recommend downloading Rawshooter as an alternative to Photoshop to speed up your workflow.

Painting with Corel Painter II

2009-05-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

We are officially into summer and the day is long. I look forward to when I can catch sunset at 6pm again. These days the sun seems to sprint from the horizon in one giant step, to my dismapy the soft light would disappear just as fast as I could set up my camera. I decided I shall spent some time learning Corel Painter II and see if I could transform some of my photos into art - my original plan anyway. One of the tools I had learnt a day earlier was using layers in Photoshop CS2 so my plan was to layer the paintings.

Below are two favorites from my study: I titled them the "Garden Series". I love the pastel wallpaper look, a little of Givenchy garden. It is interesting how they say one's art is an extension of one's feelings and emotions and that seems to be how it is with my photography and art. It is really an extension of my inner being -talk about baring one's soul. You can see more here at : my Smugmug gallery

"Garden" copyright Joochiang Lee 2009

"I dreamt of red poppies" copyright Joo chiang Lee 2009

A visit to Napa and Sonoma wine country

2009-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Back to my other passion......that of visiting the wine country, soaking in the beautiful scenery...and letting my creative juices run.

I had not driven up to Napa/Sonoma wine country for a few years now and I have been wanting to make a trip. Early May isn't quite the right time for photography as the day is so long and it is difficult to catch sunrise or sunset without having to stay a night in the area. Unfortunately, the way my schedule has been lately it is either now or wait a few months and visit in the Fall. Anyhow, I jumped out of bed early Saturday, with my cameras already packed in the bag, I drove north heading to Napa and Sonoma with a plan to visit Sebastopol and Bodega Bay in the same afternoon. I was not expecting much as far as photography goes....

"Napa wine country hillside basking in the early morning sun - I learned from a winemaker friend of mine that roses planted close to the vines for a reason..some of you may know why"

Left very early around 5:30am from San Jose, I am an early riser and you could get me out of bed wee hour of the morning if it is to catch the light for photography...As Napa is some 140miles away from San Jose, I did not get into town until 7:30am, and the soft morning light was already fading away....Fortunately I was able to catch a glimpse of it...just wished it had lasted longer.....

"Wine country landscape - I like the oil painting look"
The town of Sonoma is very charming...a bit of Taos, a bit of Palm Springs and a lot of wine country....many tasting rooms, great restaurants around the square, and world famous spas on the fringe of town.

"Morning sun showering into a very narrow alley between two weathered stone walls in Sonoma city square"
Also check out my blog entry on HDR High Dynamic Range photography here. I am speechless

The kids were simply adorable in their cowboy attire !!

2009-05-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo celebration - downtown San Jose, May 03 2009

I had not made up my mind what I was going to do when I headed out in my car this past Sunday. It was raining, though not very hard. I looked to the eastern sky and saw the sun was trying to break out from behind the early morning rain clouds. I was on 17W in the direction of Santa Cruz and had the idea that I would wait for the right moment and shoot the morning scenery as the light breaks and the rains stop with the mist still in the air. However, that never did work out. I surveyed the area I had in mind and decided that it would not be much of a shot. It was one of those mornings...I was searching for photo ops and really did not have any idea where I would find one - the elusive photo op :(. Not a good sign I was thinking to myself.

"Young cowboy and his craft"
I headed back into San Jose, decided perhaps I might find something downtown. San Jose is a rather interesting town with numerous century old buildings. I drove around the city square and was just about to give up to head to Trader Joes for my weekly produce shopping when I heard neighing horses to my left - Ah...a group of horsemen and their families had gathered with their horse carriages in the city parking lot a block from St James Park. Downtown San Jose is at the heart of Silicon Valley and so the horses were quite a sight to see. I parked my car quickly, grabbed both my cameras and sprinted across to where the small crowd had gathered. I had no clue what it was all about. In my mind, I had an image of a horse auction of some sorts, like the one one sees in the Western movies...I was told there would be a Cinco de Mayo celebration that morning and they were getting ready for the parade. The kids were all dressed up and looked so adorable in their cowboy attires. Some were sitting on the ponnies...I asked if I could take some pictures and many quickly obliged and gave me their email addresses to send them some pictures - Sometimes it is funny how things turn out..

"his eyes...there is something about them"
Above is one of my favorite shots (see more in my Smugmug gallery)....There was something about his eyes..... They remind me very much of the boy in the movie I Am David. There was definitely more behind that pair of eyes....I wish I know what they were.....

"I thought he looked rather like Paul Newman, this could have come from a movie..the ride along Pacific Coast Highway 1 in Malibu :)"
You can see more of my Cinco de Mayo photos by visiting my Smugmug gallery. The link is Cinco de Mayo 2009, San Jose

The unexpected and the results of my Holga experiments

2009-04-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

I promised I would post shots taken with my Holga and here they are...

Firstly, I experimented with it a great deal. I put two rolls of Tmax 320 B&W through it, shot all types of scenes. Then I shot another roll of ISO 400 color Fujifilm and one ISO 800 color Fujifilm as well. Now, there is something about a crude camera box and you and getting a good shot. It is really all about composition and light (I might add here that I completely messed up my roll of ISO 800 (zilt, nadah, is all I can say about that roll - shot inside a church in dim light, I totally underexposed the roll, forgot that the least I could have done was held down the button longer). Having to adjust to seeing everything in a square format is actually a rather refreshing experience coming from 35mm - I can also see how some shots are better suited for square format than others.

The fun part:

No. 1 - there is definitely light leak and I think I know where mine is coming from. I could tape it but that would take away the element of surprise. The vignetting is actually rather nice.

No. 2 - double exposing the same frame twice is so easy that if one is not careful, that becomes second nature. Well, unless you messed up so bad that you tie a little string around your index finger to remind youself to wind the film before you click that shutter again. I have one too many shots to prove how easy that is - however to my solace, it led to rather pleasant and unique results - see below. I was trying to figure out where I had taken that strange shot and then I realized it was two shots in one....

"Dreamscape"
No. 3 - one definitely looks more inconspicious to others with this little cheap plastic camera than with a big Canon 5D and zoom lens. Theoretically, that means you are more likely to get the shots you want :) The shot below is a case in point.

Finally, as there is no way to control shutter speed but Bulb or N (is that 1/125? 1/250? that in itself is another mystery). Hence, the only way one could ever use it in dim light even with high speed film is the B setting on tripod, or hold down the shutter and time it yourself... that surely will contribute to even more unpredictable results if you get any at all...but I can see me testing that out....

Holga is cheap way to have a go at medium format. The camera is dirt cheap, the only expense is development and printing. The depth and clarity to me is still way better than similar shots on my 10D, may be I am biased.... but I think you would agree.

I did a little write up on Holgas and where you could get one cheaply... see link:
Holga's - the cult following

Also if you are looking for a decent place to host your photos, check out Smugmug FREE Trial SmugMug
or the Smugmug banner on my blog. I am hosting my photos there after researching and checking out a few options. I opted for the $59.99 unlimited gallery/photos package and I really like the fact that I have "Right Click Protect" and I could disable Printing option selectively, both are important features to me. I went for 14 day Free Trial before I took the plunge :) I would strongly recommend that.

Have fun !!

I am so happy I am giddy :)

2009-04-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

I had been toying with getting a used medium format camera for the past few weeks. Tried bidding on ebay and always seems to be outbid minutes before the auction ended (never had any luck with ebay, there must be a trick :(. I was not going to get into a bidding war either). Anyhow, it crossed my mind perhaps to look for them in flea markets or antique shops where I might have better luck finding a decent one at the right price and I did!! three Saturdays ago at a Palo Alto Fleamarket.

It was a baby Yashica LM 44 (LM-selenium cell light meter - still works, and appears to be quite accurate now that I have tested it outdoor and indoor, 4x4 ). They said it was the poor man's Rollei (I see) It is in beautiful condition, with Copal SV 60mm fixed lens, cap, leatherette case etc, asking for $65!!.. The seller said he had picked up a bunch of stuffs at a Public Storage auction, guess whoever did not pay their public storage fee must be a camera buff, as there were other goodies, tripods, trumpets, clarinets etc.

The only thing that I was not sure before handing the $65 over was that it takes 127film,.... hmmm, was there ever a 127 film? This thing is older than I am. I called BelAir camera in Los Angeles, (my favorite camera store) and the girl at the film counter said "no, I don't think there is a 127 film" Yuks! I then called Foto Express in San Jose and was told the same thing, "we don't sell 127 film, I don't know if you can still get them anymore" ok, I started to waver....should I get it or shouldn't I? It is in such good shape and my heart is willing, my pocket book is wavering. It fits nicely in my hand, they said it is a lady's camera during those days due to its petite size. Oh, did I mention that the bright waist lever viewfinder is such a pleasure to use....

No surprise. I bought my new toy!! told myself that I will be just as happy to see it sit next to my beloved photo books. (does that sound familiar?)

As soon as I got home, I went online, found out that one could still get the 127 films, Efke B&W and IR from Freestyle and Provia film and slide films from Bhphotovideo (now I am really happy I am giddy). There are apparently quite a few classic camera buffs out there still actively using their baby Yashica, Rollei and other 127 film format cameras...I ordered 3 rolls of B&W and one rolls of IR films and they arrived in 2 days. I am now running the films through it and shot a roll in downtown San Francisco near Embarcadero.....I had a couple of envious looks, from people who either knew exactly what it was and from those who wondered if I was shooting video as I was looking through the viewfinder. I know now how one could be rather inconspicious using the TLR's with the waist level viewfinder if you think about :). Will be processing the films myself and if they turn out half way decent, I shall scan the neg's and post them on my blog.

Don't laugh at me if I tell you that I slept with the baby Yashica next to me the night I brought it home, you can imagine how giddy I am :)

For those who are curious about the Yashica and the Rollei TLR's and other classics in this digital age, here is a really good link:

Photoethnography.com -Karen Nakamura- The definitive guide to classic film cameras -I love her site

Suppliers of 127 films:

Bhphotovideo.com 127 films

Freestylephoto.biz 127 films

Frugal Photographer

read my other blog entries here

A trip to the city...

2009-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

A San Francisco travelogue

Having read that there was a camera swap meet in south San Francisco Saturday, I decided to take the BART to town which is really the best way to travel to the city. I did plenty of walking and savored the sights and sounds and spent a good hour at the swap meet. I struck up a nice conversation with an old school commercial photographer on the Mamiya C33 twin lens reflex medium format camera he was selling. We chatted, mostly with me picking his brain...and wishing the good old days had not gone away so quickly. We talked about how producing beautiful photography is still about having your techniques solidly grounded, and knowing your wares....having the eyes for the light.....and that his very first used medium format camera he bought from some guy when he first started and how he produced great pictures with it. Later that morning, I walked to the waterfront of Embarcadero. As it was a Saturday, a bustling outdoor market was in session. Crowded with locals and tourists alike, it was at times elbow to elbow walking room. I did the quick tour, and some photography and soon found myself checking out the artists selling their work under big white tents in the park away from the crowd.

"Who is this man?"
I soon struck up another long conversation with an artist whose attire was rather nomadic, who interestingly has a Chinese sounding last name but grew up in Nicaragua as I later learned (not surprisingly, as many set sail to seek work and fortune some two hundred years ago and many went to South America). A photographer who spends a few months each year outside the country in search of inspiration, his works of brightly colored weathered buildings from Cuba to Nicaragua and Rajistan first caught my attention. There was also the image of two canoes in the morning light with the Bay Bridge in the background still shrouded in fog. Then as I looked to the floor, there was a photo of a young boy cloaked in red sitting on the floor of a monastery. He was holding up a long stick, pointing to a chalk board of sentences as if to repeat after his master. On the left, soft light flooded the dim room casting a small shadow on the boy sitting cross legged on the floor. The image stopped me in my track. I lingered on and looked at it for a long time. My mind wondered back to Asia, to the people and the colorful cultures, to the villages. Sometimes an image speaks to the soul and it takes one on a journey....may be because I grew up in Asia and had traveled to many corners of Southeast Asia where life is simple and yet plentiful...and learning and acquiring knowledge is what every parent wants for their child. It was the very poignant scene that moved the photographer and caught his eyes as he took that one and only shot.

"I am the proud owner of the photo - getting it framed...in dark wood with border"
It no longer matters if I took any photo at all with my camera. The sights and sounds of the San Francisco waterfront, the hustle and bustle had suddenly taken a back seat without my knowing.

Sometimes a photograph speaks to one's soul and it is that simple. I could not help but remembering the works of Dorothea Lange, her photographs of the "Migrant Woman" and the "Man in the Bread Line". Humanity and the ability to connect and feel is such a rare commodity in today's material world, I was so very glad to know it has not completely gone away.

"The artist's gallery along the San Francisco waterfront"
As I sat on the BART train heading back to Fremont and San Jose, I was deep in my thoughts. It was a good thought. I had bought the photograph from the artist whom I had gotten to know and we made some plans for collaborative projects in the coming weeks, stay tuned......

Capitola and beyond on Highway 1

2009-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ventured out south on Highway 17 yesterday morning, my plan was to check out the Northern California beach town of Capitola. It was just dawn when I headed south over Santa Cruz mountains and the serenity of the morning was a welcome change. I badly needed a break from my daily grind and had brought my beach chair and laptop along (well for some writing) just in case I was up to it after a morning of photography, I figure may be I will enjoy some sun on the beach.

"Capitola Fishing Pier - my tourist shot..just couldn't seem to get the right angle whether from the south side or north end"
Soon I was in the heart of Capitola. As it was early, I had no trouble finding a parking spot on a side street near the beach. A charming beach town, Capitola has a rather arty and upscale mediterranean feel to it, a little Tuscany by the sea if you will while the brightly colored Capitola fishing pier is very reminiscent of the Malibu Fishing Pier. The annual Capitola Art and Wine Festival in September is not far way.....my mind is twirling with plans

Colorful adobe mud huts line the beach by the pier - one of the many attractions in town. A nice holiday beach pad for the entire family to chill and have some beach volleyball fun. Book early though, as the town can be packed with tourists during the peak summer months.

"Colorful adobe style mudhut - vacation rental"
After an hour of photography around the pier and the beach, I decided to finally sit down for some breakfast at the Fog Bank Bar and Grill. I ordered a lovely Spanish omelette with fruits and wheat toasts and a nice large OJ. Sitting at the bench on the balcony facing the ocean I had a perfect view. It is a good morning. I said to myself. Seagulls were frolicking, bathing in the water, the bright colors of the mud huts reflecting in the creek - a nice water show of its own.

"She was happy to be photographed in the picture perfect creek"
Ah, then there is the "Margaritaville". It did not look like it is quite ready for the bar scene though. I wonder....I took a photo of the facade for a friend of mine who is a Jimmy Buffett fan.

Later I drove around the north end of the city up a small hill to Coral Cliff - a popular surf spot with locals and college kids from UC Santa Cruz. Surfers were out in full force riding the ocean waves below the dramatic cliff drop off. The rugged coastline and the few lone trees reminds me very much of Big Sur.

As you might imagine, I had many grand plans for the day, including staying over a night at some motel 6 so I can shoot sunset. However, that plan never did materialize. By 10am, traffic on Highway 1 had built up to a crawl as families came out to enjoy an unseasonally warm day in March. I headed south on Highway 1 as fast as I could, making pit stops along the way to check out sailboats in the many marinas and caught a quick visit to the Monterey Aquarium and the Wharf waterfront. It was either back on the road joining the bumper to bumper traffic or relax for an hour or two and I chose the later. The entrance fee to the Aquarium was $29.95 for non member and the line to get in was actually long.

"The aquarium ballet....I was forced to shoot the school of fishes going by handheld"
I was a little disappointed I did not see the moon fish I saw my last visit years ago.(or the "Sun" fish as they call it in Bali - I came face to face with them diving off Bali coast many years back)

It was 4pm before I finally make my way back via Salinas on 101 to San Jose.

What was the saying again? you need a holiday to recover from a holiday - playing tourist is exhausting!!

Holgas - the cult following

2009-03-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to shoot medium format film and have been agonizing over whether to get a used medium format camera or a fixed lens Fuji last few weeks. Having heard and read much about Holgas, it has piqued my interests especially after seeing the works of Holga enthusiasts. It was tempting me as a very inexpensive way to work with medium format film. Researching further, I learned that Holga has a rather interesting beginning and has its roots in rural China. For more details on Holga, go to Holga and Camerapedia.Org

With Holga, it is just a "mechanical box with a crude shutter", the film and you the photographer. There is no blaming the camera for having a bad shot, although you might be able to blame the lack of electronics :) for missing a shot (pardon me for describing it that way, but simple is good and less is beautiful has great meaning here). The light leak prevalent in the Holgas is what makes each image unique.

Holga in baby blue if that is your fancy - available at Bhphotovideo

So, I am now a proud owner of a "Made in China" trendy and hip "Holga 120N". Got it at BelAir Camera in Los Angeles when I was down there last week and a certain "David" who works at the processing lab who shoots exclusively Holga showed me his incredibly wonderful Holga images. I asked if he sells his photos, his reply: "like to do a show someday". He helped me pick out the Holga 120N to start. You see, there are many different models and colors (pink! good God, I want to be inconspicious), with hotshoe, with built in flash, the classic (120S), all available for 120 and 35mm film format. In addition, there is Holga pinhole camera. Yours to choose from well under $45!!!

Holga 120CFN Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera

You might be interested in checking out this Reuters blog entry on Holga by Jim Young(and a little story of Crawford, Texas) Remembering the days of black and white film

To buy Holgas, try:
Amazon Holga 120

or Freestylephoto

As for my own Holga photos, I loaded a roll of TriX-320 into the Holga 120F I bought last week and have yet to make it back to Livermore to shoot the old train station and the old house on Highway 84w. I am in the thick of the tax season - and all I can see are thousand of line items of income, expenses and deductions for 10 hours a day (did I mention pages and pages of stock trades clients did in 2008 - oh well, that is the subject for another entry on my other Blog)

Having said all that, I look forward to doing some b&w film development soon at a community darkroom in San Jose as soon as I have my weekends back again.... and I will post the Holga photos to share then.

Highway 84W

2009-03-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Just a word on Topaz before the entry proper. I re-installed Topaz Adjust plug in I had uninstalled due to Topaz software bug, I am still getting the occasional "can't complete due to program error" (it is annoying as I have to re-do my processing all over again). It does not look like it is a bug that will go away....I resigned to that fact and left the plug in on CS2 for now.

Was up in Livermore California last weekend, took Highway 84 from 680N and it was a beautiful magical ride at 7:30am in the morning (I had to pick a daylight saving day and it was really 6:30am that morning since I had moved the clock forward an hour....that explained my sleepy eyes). There were a handful of cattle ranches along 84E to Livermore, still shrouded in the overnight mist as the early morning sun was breaking through. I said to myself if only I had been there before daybreak and waited for the first light to come through the old house.

Livermore is officially now on my "A few more visits" list :) I often visit a place for the first time to scout for photo opps and make notes of locations in my little notepad I carry with me.

I like the old town charm, oh did I mention the many vineyards in Livermore. Ah, that was the bonus. Or was it the reason why I went there in the first place :)

Footnote: I am going back there soon and this time armed with my old style Canon A1 with rolls of Black and White and Velvia slide films .... It makes me happy just thinking of the prospects.

Topazed!!!

2009-02-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

Found a new tool to keep my creative juice going :) there is always something new to explore on my day off and find your groove as they say it. This time it is the Topaz plug in for Photoshop (I use CS2). I am using a 30 day trial and so far so good. It is certainly very arty, resulting in very dramatic image if you have a good starting image that is correctly exposed image or a fun image to dabble with.

For those who are learning about Topaz plug in for the first time. Topaz is a very similar to Photomatix HDR software, but offers a few quick adjustments on details, exposure, contrast, highlight by easily dragging a ruler slider on the menu. It is really for those who are drawn to Photography art or arty photography.

Here are a couple of my topazed images I like:

"Expansive wild mustard field and an old barn house in Milpitas

"The wooden gate of the wetlands in Alvioso. Compare this image with the tone mapped HDR image in my original posting if you scroll down to the bottom of the entire page"

"The famed Malibu fishing pier, slightly topazed"

Finally there is the purple daisy field taken last spring along a bike path in Marina del rey, CA. It is one of my stock photos transformed....

Daisy field "topazed"
If you are a photography traditionalist, please pardon me for pushing the limits here. I am always exploring the possibilities of a new creative tool. Guess you could say I am more of an arty photographer...frequently tipping my toes in the creative arty world to see what else is possible and then take three steps back - my own way of finding my own limits.

A word of caution: Topaz is not always stable, and does hang or refuse to process images from time to time forcing me to reboot my computer. From what I gathered from the many postings on the web, it is a known problem. So keep that in mind

Update on March 1st 2009: the Topaz Adjust trial plug in I downloaded has been unstable, frequently showing an error message that it cannot process due to program error. I had uninstalled and re-installed a few times and it would work only once or twice and the same error message would re-appear. So as of now, I have uninstalled it from PS CS2. This is a known program and widely reported on the web. There does not seem to be a bug free version at this point as the problem persists for those with lots of RAM space and those using the 2.6 version.

Who says there is no photo op when it rains (I am smiling)

2009-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

You know how it is when it is your day off and you are determined to make the most of it. The weather forecast had projected rain all day long with no lull in sight for Sunday, the only day when a friend and I could do some photography - Do not put two crazy photographers together is all I can say.

It rained so hard that my Volvo 960 was hydroplaning. What started as a drizzle as we left San Jose at 7am this morning quickly turned into steady downpour on Highway 880 when we headed north towards Berkeley. Of all the days during the week mother nature could have its fun, it had to pick a Sunday.

Below are the shots in the rain, tone mapped with Photomatix, with little or no adjustment.

If there is a will, there is a way.

"Pink rose petals on the ground cover, it was the randomness of the pile that caught my attention"

"I was captivated by the raindrops on the elegant and yet very tiny leaves - as I moved in closer, I saw they had a nice shade of pink hue on its leaves"
Wish I could have shot it with the 100mm macro lens I did have in my bag, but that would be really risking it, getting the rain in my camera as I would have to change lens in the wet open air. You bet I am going back to that place marked F10 on the jogging path on another rainy day to shoot a couple more, and this time with my macro lens.

"Totally rained out, I took cover in my warm car, and decided if I can't beat it, why not join in the fun"
A side note, I did have to make a pit stop at the Fish and Tackle shop at the marina to get the ugliest looking fisherman's yellow raincoat. It was intended for me but it ended up being my camera's best friend - a makeshift tarp - best $7 investment.

When photography transcends the genre and becomes art

2009-02-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Still on an HDR mission (well, I have really just begun), I decided to explore the boundaries of HDR photography. It was Valentine's Day yesterday so for all lovers and families out there, you would have plenty of photo opportunities to shoot the beautiful roses and tulips and have fun with HDR like me.

Here is an example of nature's gifts tone mapped using Photomatix HDR software. I like the "dreamy" look of the tulips and I think it would look good on greeting cards. It is going into my permanent collection :) a happy thought on an otherwise dreadful cold rainy Sunday in San Jose.

"When photography transcends the genre and becomes art"

I am Speechless

2009-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

OMG, OK, now I am speechless. Now I know how those beautiful images were created, some of them at least.

Painted archway leading to the wetland

Part II of my HDR study. I drove to Alviso, a rather charming old town 20 minutes north of San Jose proper this morning. A friend told me of the town and the weathered buildings, salt mines and cannery. There is also a tiny creek that drains 5 miles into south San Francisco Bay. I arrived around 8:15am as the sun was breaking through the dark clouds (rain expected later in the day). At the wetland were archways painted in light yellow and wooden pathways leading to each of the wildlife viewing platforms. It was magnificently beautiful, simple, yet, to a photographer, it was heaven. I had gone on an HDR mission, and so with the camera on the tripod, I shot a series of bracketed exposures and below are the toned mapped HDR images: I am blown away by what the software does to combine the tonal spectrum...... I am still in shock. Needless to say, I am sold on Photomatix, and will pay up ($99) to get the license so I can create my HDR without the Photomatix watermark and add my own watermark.

All 6 images were toned mapped using Photomatix, with little or no adjustment, all shot with camera on tripod, bracketed exposure and camera set for three consecutive shots with one single shutter click

Twigs in a small creek, Alviso marina

Painted building facade, Alviso, CA

Red brick building facade, Alvisio, CA

wild mustard field, Milpitas,CA

wild mustard flowers, Milpitas, CA

Images from my HDR study

2009-02-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

Tripod, a sturdy one and ideally a wireless/or wired remote, no getting around it if you don't want to regret messing up an opportunity that presented itself. That is what I like about photography, every scene is unique and mother nature has a say in it. (Except in the case of a set up still life studio shot which to some extent can be repeated if you can figure out the light placement).

The Christmas scene below is a tone-mapped HDR (High Dynamic Range) image from three bracketed shots taken on a tripod during a foggy winter night. It was the lawn of the Capital building in Olympia. Without a tripod, one would not have three matching images to merge seamlessly. This one I was prepared. I had a decent tripod with me and it was worth bracing the cold night for it.

shot with tripod, long exposure, bracketed exposure

The second HDR image, that of a hillside pasture with a hint of spring was taken last weekend in San Jose. I was doing a small unplanned hike off a mountain range on a detour and did not have a tripod with me. It was 30 minutes before sunset and the hill slope just glowed with light. I set my camera to take three consecutive shots with a single shutter click and bracketed the shots (-2, 0, +2). Then I used Photomatix HDR software to map image details and shapes and merge the tonal properties. However the imperfect lines are visible if viewed at 100%.

No tripod, three consecutive shots, bracketed exposure

Then there is this last shot taken this past Fall at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle when on a spur of the moment, I decided to experiment with HDR. Without giving much thought to what I needed to do, I proceeded to bracket the three shots handheld (one of those stupid things I did) and thought to myself, yes, now I am going to merge them. Well, that is that, totally painfully obvious unmatched image tone mapped from three shots obviously from slightly different spot - It is sort of interesting and shows what it could have been if I had just used the tripod.

Disastrous HDR result - handheld, bracketed exposure - silly me

I remember a popular saying in the photography world:
"Beginner photographers debate over whether Nikon or Canon is a better camera, the real pros debate over which is the sturdiest tripod to have." Once lugging a good tripod with you becomes a second nature, the world you see through the lens will become that much sharper.

To see another tone mapped HDR image - of a city park shrouded in heavy fog, check out my first article on HDR Click Here

Support these places....bring out your film camera and have a blast again

2009-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Kaufmann's Cameras Inc
154 W 25th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 574-3429
Open Weekdays 9am-6pm; Sat 10am-4pm
My review:
Very good selection of negative and slide films, b&w/color, friendly, helpful, sells camera and lenses (new and used) darkroom chemicals (including Acufine), fiber papers, trays and everything you need for wet processing. Reasonable prices. Offers in house wet processing for b&w, sends color negative films and chromes out to third party, short turntime. I would rather frequent their stores than K&S in Palo Alto for my photography supplies.

Foto Express
304 E Santa Clara St # C
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 971-3977
The only place in South Bay (San Jose vicinity that is, CA) that process 120 films and slides in house (and 35mm of course). Friendly, helpful, good turntime. Comparable pricing (to A&I or BelAir). Sells a small selection of negative and chrome films. If you want your 120 films processed on site, this is the place to go.

Just Films (a smallish corner store that has seen its fair share of industry consolidation, it is currently operating at the following location)
130 Russ St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-864-0665
Sad but true, this seems to be the only place in SF where you can find a small but decent selection of films. Because it is a one man show, the owner, Volker may not be there all the time, call ahead before you show up so your trip is not in vain.

A great companion book for every digital photographer

2009-01-25T23:59:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for a good companion book for digital photography and Photoshop, Scott Kelby's The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)definitely fits the bill. It is my only Photoshop reference book and has been instrumental in helping me master a couple of the Photoshop tools I use frequently. An excellent "How To" book, it is written for both Mac and PC users.

This book covers in detail many new and exciting Adobe Photoshop CS2 techniques for digital photographers:

• The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there's an entire chapter on, just this!)

• The pros tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!

• The step-by-step set-up for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you saw on screen

• The retouching secrets of how the pros retouch portraits

• How to process raw digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features of CS2!)

• How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how easy it is–once you know the secret) and more.

Indoor Event Photography-Always a Challenge

2009-01-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to get this link posted first as I have gotten a lot of questions on it:
If you have a limited budget and want to take better photoggraphy, where do you start?

Ok, now on Event Photography. Someone from LinkedIn who had trouble getting good shots at event photography asked me if I would recommend a few camera lens that would be more suitable and what I would do differently-a tip or two. She was using her 50mm and her 70-200mm lens handheld, and her shots had all come out "trail-marked" as she puts it.

Event photography is always challenging for photographers because one has to deal with insufficient light, distance if one can't get close to podium, any motion on stage of the subject and if there is light, the type of lighting and if so making sure the white balance is set correctly. In most cases, flash is not allowed once the event has commenced.

If one could get close to the podium, within a 6-10ft, and assuming the podium/stage is sufficiently lit then a 50mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.4 or a 100mm f/2 (depending on what you are shooting) on a monopod or tripod should do the job. Another thing I would do is set the camera to take at least 3 frames in succession so you don't miss any shot.

If you can't get close to the podium, and the podium is sufficiently lit, then the most suitable lens in my opinion is the Canon 100mm f/2. It is lighter than the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS (it is heavy and you would stil need a tripod collar for the white lens which would add further to the weight). Definitely still use a tripod otherwise there is no chance of getting a decent shot in an indoor event. I know of music event photographers who are extremely happy with their 100mm f/2. It is fast lens, it is not heavy, it is inconspicious as compared to the signature white lens

"Trailmarked" or "light streaks" are a result of slow shutter speed (not enough light, or camera shake, or a combination of the two). The shutter speed is not fast enough to freeze any slight motion of the subject. As a rule of thumb, you want to be shooting at shutter speed no less than the focal length of your camera lens if you don't have a tripod: so no less than 1/60 with a 50mm f/1.8 and no less than 1/125 on a 100mm f/2 lens.

If the above still doesn't give you a decent shot, then the only solution is to get upfront, where you have light and ask the subject to pose for a shot beforehand :) or ask for permission to use flash.

Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Get it at Bhphotovideo or at or Amazon

The 100mm f/2 lens is also available for Nikon SLR. I have always preferred prime lens over my zoom lens whenever possible for the simple reason that what you give up in flexibility you get back plenty back in image quality not mentioning that prime lens are so much less expensive than comparable zoom. Using prime lens forces me to think more, compose with my feet and do photography in the ways of the Grand Masters when all they had were the old pancake lens and a 35mm or 50mm in the case of Pentax and look at those wonderful timeless photos from the Great Depression!!.

HDR Photography

2009-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

High contrast scenes present great challenges to photographers and cameras sensors (and film media). The meter in our digital camera can only meter what it sees which is the "average" tone in terms of light/tone and colors. Without a good understanding of exposure and a clever use of filters (ND filters specifically), the resulting image will often be over or underexposed and flat leaving the average photographer exasperated.

Aspiring photographers have all been teased by the vibrant imagery we see on Calendars and Photography Books, we yearn to be able to also create these beautiful images. That day has finally arrived (well, sort of) with the advent of HDR High Dynamic Range photography - the new kid on the block, the latest obcession if you will. A new genre in digital photography is indeed here. In simple terms, HDR technique combines tonal properties at each end of the spectrum to produce a very rich and vibrant imagery. For a start, one has to take three identical images of the same scene/object: one at the set exposure, one overexposed and one underexposed. The easiest way to accomplish this is to set the camera on AEB (Automatic Exposure Bracketing) so the camera would take three shots: one at 0 on your meter scale, and the second shot at -2.0 and the third at +2.0. Because you need the three images to be taken from the same spot, a sturdy tripod and a wireless remote are essential to reduce camera shake.

Once you have the three bracketed images, you will need the help of a HDR software to put that tonal details together seamlessly. One such software is Photomatix. A trial version can be downloaded here at Photomatix. There is a PC and Mac version. It is a standalone software but a plug in is available for Photoshop. The trial version does not expire so long as you can put up with the watermark across your finished image. The price for the license is $99 and in my opinion it is well worth the investment if you plan to do a lot of landscape and high contrast scenes. Good way to test the software and see the end result and decide if this is your kind of art.

My first go at HDR tone-mapping - Evening at a city park shrouded in thick fog, shot at ISO 400

The software is extremely easy to use and accepts RAW files from my Canon 10D. Just drag the three image files and if you select the default settings, the software will do the rest. I would have preferred to shoot at ISO 100 but the thick fog meant I had to keep my shutter open for over 20 sec which would be really pushing it. Nevertheless, I was happy with the result. HDR works best with bright imagery but that is not a hard and fast rule, it is always good to experiment and find your own style.

I found a collection of beautiful HDR images at 17 beautiful HDR images online-photoshoptutorials.com

Did a search on Amazon for books on HDR Photography and found a handful of books written about HDR photography. One with high marks is:

Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography
by Ferrell McCollough (Author)

"It’s the latest and hottest technique, made possible only through digital. High Dynamic Range photography is the process of taking several pictures of a scene at various exposures, then merging them into one file. So the entire photo can look crisp and detailed, from highlights to midtones to shadows—and photographers needn’t sacrifice any part of their image. And the best way to master this exciting technology is with this thorough, easy-to-follow, and visually spectacular guide. No other title does justice to these cutting-edge techniques, which actually take the viewer into worlds far beyond normal photography—sometimes even beyond normal human perception. Ferrell McCollough, a widely respected photographer, pushes the boundaries and inspires others to pursue their artistic vision, too. The amazing results simply can’t be achieved any other way."

Setting up my shot

2009-01-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

Photography is a great avocation. I am happiest when I have my camera around my neck. Learn to see the light in ways others can't and it will make a lot of difference in how that image is going to turn out in the end.

It is all about exploring and experimenting. Look for interesting subject, unusual light and shoot from a different angle even if that means going down on my knees for a different perspective. I am reminded of what I learned in one of my photography class - that when one first arrives at a location, to not snap way but rather spend time surveying the place for unique angle, interesting light - sizing and soaking up the image in your head....before you click that shutter.

Wrote an article a little while back on how to get started in photography if one has a limited budget. The article is here and at Helium if you wish to read more.

Enjoy and happy shooting.

A few interesting read on photography:
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
John Shaw's Landscape Photography

A Slow Day

2009-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days when my mind is blank, figuratively speaking. I jumped out of bed this morning wanting to make today a productive one but it has been slow. This always happens when my schedule is turned upside down due to something I can't control - "external circumstances". - the rain and lots of it this past week in western Washington. There was so much rain for 3 days and I mean steady rain for 72 hours, ponds appeared all around the apartment. It was as if we had a monsoon rain that refused to go away. We had planned to drive south to the Bay Area yesterday evening but a 20 mile stretch of I-5 between Olympia and Portland was shut down late Wednesday due to heavy flooding. It had only just re-opened Thursday evening. Needless to say it is congested as traffic had backed up while people waited out the storm. Our schedule would only permit that we drive during the weekend so we decided that instead of turning the 12 hour journey into a 16 hour one, we shall make the trip next weekend instead.

I am so ready for sunshine, can't wait to go out to the coast in California to do some photography. I also have a Programming class at Stanford that is starting Tuesday which I will have to skip and I hate skipping class. The cold in the Pacific Northwest does not bother me as much as the rain and overcast sky. The gloomy weather does take much getting used to.

Now some happy thoughts:
Photo downloads at the start of the year has picked up, hopefully that is a sign of what 2009 will bring. I could be overly optimistic here given the depressed economic climate. I was able to pen down a rather long list of topics for my articles while sitting in a Starbucks last week. The story of the children's book I plan to write is taking shape- finally. I can't wait to learn some studio lighting techniques, that will be the best investment I ever make.

Create A Photo Blog

2009-01-07T12:31:00.001-08:00

If you are an aspiring photographer, and you are researching for a good way to showcase your work. A photo blog is a good way to start. As for tips on how to get started on your photo blog, take a look at the book by Catherine Jamieson. It was my very first book on blogging and definitely has some good ideas on how to approach your blog project. The book also has some great photography as well. It is a book I refer to a lot and it is well worth the read.

Create Your Own Photo Blog
by Catherine Jamieson

"Whether you seek to showcase a professional portfolio or just want your family across the continent to see the pictures from the reunion, you can do it with a photo blog. Catherine Jamieson, whose award-winning blog, Utata, has a legion of fans, gives you all the tools you need in this richly illustrated, full-color guide. She translates Web lingo, walks you through setting up your blog, and provides professional tips on composing, shooting, and editing your photos. Jamieson even helps jumpstart your creativity with 100 photo ideas to get you shooting."

To learn how to create a sticky blog, check out my article at AC: the link can be found Here

Still Life and Special Effects Photography

2009-01-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

On the subject of light and lighting techniques. If you are curious how the pro's set up their lighting for still life and special effect photography, you will find the book by Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz fascinating to read. Never would I have thought that that is what pros did to achieve a certain result. Whether it is experimenting with single light source, black bounce, deliberate camera movement to create blur or the use of unique background materials, it is like the sky is the limit. Dare to experiment is the secret and with digital camera, the learning just got a whole lot easier.

Still Life and Special Effects Photography: A Guide to Professional Lighting Techniques, Second Edition

Still Life and Special Effects Photography
by Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz

"Every picture featured in "Still Life and Special Effects Photography" is accompanied by a description of how the lighting was achieved, while clear illustrations showing each lighting set-up help readers achieve the same effect. The first section is dedicated to shooting conventional still-life subjects (such as food, product shots and natural flora), and the second to the more challenging field of special-effect photography (montage, multiexposure, mirrors and props, constructing simple room sets, etc). Now available new in paperback, this should be an indispensable book for anyone who would like to discover the secrets behind other photographer's successful images."

Other photography books by Roger Hicks and Roger Hicks on Lighting the Nude

Light is all around

2009-01-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on New Year's day

Photography is about seeing the light, the way the Grand Masters see it and it is what separates the great legends from the rest of us. Light or the lack there of is what stops us dead in our track and makes us take two steps back and take a lingering look at a photograph hanging on a wall. To me, colors are just a facade - the "extras". Peel away the colors, if a photograph is truly special, the light that grabs our attention initially should still be there.

I am convinced if the modern day photographer can master the subject of light and use light to convey her message just the way she intends it to, she truly has a special gift. It is that gift I so wish for, it is my only goal in the quest to be a better photographer. So very often, we snap away without spending time to compose the image, to think of the message and why we are there in the first place. We hope by snapping a few dozen shots of the same scene, one will turn out good enough and our effort will not be in vain. That is where we are all mistaken. The most valuable lesson I learned from my photography teacher was a sentence she uttered one day in class: "Timeless photos are composed, and they are often a result of a great deal of planning and thinking, in setting up the shot and the placement of light." Ask any accomplished photographer and they will tell you this cannot be more true.

The more I do photography, the more I realize I need to go back and re-learn the basics. I told myself that until I can wrap my head completely around the subject of light, I have barely just begun. That is the story of photography - It is simply a story of light and light is all around. Can you see it?

Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs

Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs
by Ansel Adams

Each of Adams 40 photographs presented here is accompanied by an engaging narrative that explores the technical and aesthetic problems presented by the subject and includes reminiscences of the places and people involved."

Ansel Adam (1902-1984) made over 40,000 photographs. His mastery on the subject and his medium are well chronicled in three much sought after books: "The Camera", and "The Negative" and "The Print"

How To Create A Sticky Blog

2008-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

A few quick tips

Identify your audience. Write for your audience. Keep it fresh, keep it updated. Feed your beast!! Use attractive graphics and photos in your stories so they stand out from the crowd. Adding additional blog add-ons to make reading your blog a pleasurable experience so visitors stay on your blog longer. More on which blog features to add and the "How To's", go to: How To Create A Sticky Blog - Advice and Pitfalls. Here is the link

As for a couple of good books on this subject, here are two unconventional and entertaining books by the girls for the girls:

The IT Girl's Guide to Blogging with Moxie

No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog

And if you are still looking for more ideas, check out my complete lists of blogging and photography books

Happy blogging and I look forward to hearing your success stories!!

P.S Just published a travel story on Half Moon Bay Read it here

Looking for Guide Book on Great Surfing Spots in California, Surfer Magazine's Guide to Northern and Central California Surf Spots

Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass.....

2008-12-26T12:18:00.001-08:00

Just came across this book and I am so excited:

The last few blog entries have been about food and good recipes and not much about photography. Well, it is that time of the year, the holiday is about getting together with friends and families to enjoy good times, good food. I was born on the island of Penang in Malaysia. Penang is the "Pearl of the Orient" and also "Gastronomie Capital" of South East Asia. Naturally my food and recipes have revolved around the many Asian spices and ingredients.

Green mangoes and Lemon grass, how can one go wrong with that!!!

Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali

Amazon has it for $16.47 New. Not bad for a great recipe book with 100s of recipes from Bangkok to Bali.

Bali is a gem of a place, one of my favorite holiday destinations.

Simple Green Salad with Homemade Asian Dressing

2008-12-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

I thought I share my recipe for a light green salad that is easy to make and original:

Simple green salad (young spinach, watercress, basil). Add thin red onion slices, mandarin oranges (canned Mandarin oranges will do, drain well), Trader Joes almond slices and cranberry pieces, tossed in my home made Asian dressing :)

Dressing: (mix well and toss in green salad mix above):
freshly squeezed lime juice
fish sauce (it is very salty so use sparingly)
a dash of crushed red peppers
freshly ground black pepper
dash of fine sugar
a little olive oil.

There you have it, a light green salad with a touch of Asia.

A good Asian Cookbook to have as reference is the Chinese and Asian Cookbook by Linda Doeser.

The Complete Step-by-Step Chinese & Asian Cookbook
by Linda Doeser

Also check out my two other recipes:

How To Make Mouth Watering Singaporean Fried Noodles

How to Steam Up Delicious Pot Stickers

Bon Appetit!!

My Book List

2008-12-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

I love books and lots of them. Books are definitely my most precious possessions despite the internet revolution. I am not about to give up my right to hold a beautifully bound hardcover book in my hand and curl up with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on my couch in front of the fireplace. My evenings could not be more perfect. Nor am I ready to migrate my entire life to the web and do all my reading with my eyes peeled to the computer screen. I am old fashioned in that sense. I am convinced in a decade or so, real books are going to be in short supply and much sought after. I want to keep collecting these precious books and add to my library. In my utopia land, I am surrounded by books that span wall to wall and floor to ceiling and my wine cellar is just a stone's throw away.

Of my sea of books, I have many favorites. Since I am passionate about photography and colors and could spend my life in a little cabin on a vineyard, you can probably imagine what those books might be.

Here are a couple of my all time favorites:

1. Homestead (The World As Home) by Annick Smith.

I was very moved by the poignant story of her life journey and the time she spent living in Montana's beautiful countrywide. It is as if you are taking the journey with her from the time she was in Seattle to her move to Montana during the cold winter. The book also chronicles her friendship with Norman Maclean of the Big Blackfoot in A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition. Homesteadis a rivetting read and it is hard to put the book down. I had stumbled on the book in a little quaint bookstore on Third street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Another book by Annick Smith and William Kittredgethat I like is The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology "This collection of vivid and compelling literature ranges across Montana's literary landscape in descriptions of explorers' discoveries, stories from mining and agricultural frontiers, and powerful memoirs from Native Americans, as well as unforgettable images created by contemporary writers." well said by one of the readers.

2. If you are looking for another good story to read this holiday break: Vintage Feastng by Joy Sterling.

Vintage Feastng

A book of personal recipes in the wine country and tending to vineyards and the winery business. How despite having graduated from Yale and a long journalism career, Joy Sterling answered the call and returned to the family vineyard outside Sebastopol in Sonoma county, California and lives the life of a vintner. It is a wonderful book of great recipes, stories, landscapes and nature's garden.

3. A Phaidon photo book on Dorothea Langeby Mark Durden.
I am not much of a portrait photographer but Dorothea Lange's work reminds me of what humanity is and what photography is all about. You have seen her works in exhibits, especially "The Migrant Woman". Numerous books have been written about her and her photographs of the Great Depression. She is definitely the people's photographer extraordinaire holding all of us to very high standard!!

4. Fine Art Nature Photography by Tony Sweet.
On my To-Do List for 2009 is to learn more about fine art photography where advanced techniques such as multiple exposures on single frame is used to creative vibrant image capture. Tony Sweet's book on Fine Art Nature Photography offers insights on his mastery on the subject. It is definitely very Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse.

5. Mastering Black & White Photography by John Garrett.
If you wonder how one could take such beautiful black and white imagery and if you want to learn the master's techniques of traditional darkroom, John Garrett's book is a wonderful book full of ideas and inspiration that offers many "ah-ha" moments.

6. Finally, a book on Yoga. Hatha Yoga Breath by Breath by Godfrey Devereux.
I am a great believer of wellness and healthy living and am learning yoga. This book is a valuable reference for "anyone wanting to experience deep and lasting benefits of yoga practice" to borrow the words of the author. It has detailed step by step instructions and explanations on each pose from beginning to intermediate to advanced in addition to indepth write up on hatha yoga. It has been a great companion book for me. Unfortunately Hartha Yoga: Breath by Breath is no longer in print so look for a used copy. Alternatively, get the Dynamic Yoga: The Ultimate Workout that Chills Your Mind as it Charges Your Body also by Godfrey Devereux.

Happy reading this holiday season.

Fine Art Photography

2008-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

I am very much drawn to fine art photography where advanced techniques such as multiple exposures on single frame is used to creative vibrant image capture. Tony Sweet's book on Fine Art Nature Photography offers insights on his mastery on the subject. It is definitely very Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse.

2008-12-21T09:18:00.001-08:00

While researching for a tablet to buy, I stumbled upon this YouTube video on Speed Painting by Nico Di Mattia. I was spellbound!!

LOST - John Locke - Speed Painting by Nico Di Mattia

As for the tablet, I decided on the Genius MousePen 8 x 6-Inch Graphic Tablet. I needed a larger drawing area and this one looks like it will do the job well and it costs much less than famous brand. See the picture below:

Books, Books, Books

2008-12-20T09:31:00.001-08:00

I love books, and they are definitely my most precious possessions despite the internet revolution. Nothing beats curling up on the couch in front of the fire place with your favorite book and coffee or wine and spend my evenings that way.

I am not much of a portrait photographer but Dorothea Lange's work reminds me what humanity is and what photography is all about. You have seen her works in exhibits, especially "the Migrant Woman". Numerous books have been written about her and her photographs of the Great Depression. She is definitely the people's photographer extraordinaire holding all of us to very high standard!!

Dorothea Lange
by Mark Durden

"A Beautiful Collection Featuring the Groundbreaking Work of the Legendary Female Photojournalist.
American photographer Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) was an overtly political photographer, who used her camera to capture an era of social change and struggle in America. Her iconic photographs document the intensity of human life and the power of human emotion. Lange's impact on photojournalism can still be felt today......

Tired of studio portraiture, Lange began working for the Farm Security Administration in 1935, where she created many of the photographs that define the Depression and Western migration of farming families in the popular imagination. Included in this collection of photographic essays is one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century--the Migrant Mother, also known as Migrant Madonna, taken in California in 1936.

DOROTHEA LANGE provides an elegantly produced introduction to the acclaimed social realist photographer, whose photographs continue to serve as a powerful testament to the trials and depths of humanity."

I am so inspired!!

2008-12-18T07:58:00.001-08:00

I am crazy about colors and all I can say is "WOW". The book is simply amazing, full of wonderful ideas if you like to explore Photoshop and tinkle with the many tools it offers like me. It looks like I have barely touched the surface...Top project to work on this holiday :)

Photoshop CS / CS2 Wow! Book

by Linnea Dayton

"Ever since Photoshop version 2.5, Photoshop CS / CS2 Wow! Book has enlightened and inspired graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers around the globe. This newest edition delivers the familiar award-winning mix of explanations and step-by-step tutorials for creating both commercial and fine-art images, with tips and beautiful galleries that distinguish this book as the most inspiring Photoshop resource around........ You’ll learn the most innovative techniques for creating and enhancing images, graphics, and type, including:

• How and when to use the new features in Photoshop CS and CS2, including the Spot Healing Brush, Lens Correction, Lens Blur, Vanishing Point, and Variables
• How to build your skill with familiar Photoshop features such as blend modes, adjustment layers, channels, and filters
• How to focus attention on the subject of a photo, retouch a portrait, tint an image, or convert a color image to black-and-white
• How to bring out your inner artist with Photoshop’s sophisticated brushes and vector-drawing tools
• How to create dazzling special effects for type and graphics—from custom textures and realistic materials to animation and rollover for the web
• How to build a striking layout or a seamless composite, including the little details that make a big difference in the art of creating illusions
• How to keep your creations organized with layers, layer set or groups, layer comps, and Smart Objects""

Gift Ideas This Holiday Season

2008-12-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

If you are searching for a good book for friends and family members who love doing photography, consider getting the book by Bryan Peterson: "Understanding Exposure". Getting the right exposure for your shots plays a critical part in how your photos are going to turn out. I refer to it often whenever I run into technical challenges :).

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera
by Bryan Peterson

"For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here’s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt."

Another good choice is "The A-Z of Creative Photography" by Lee Frost. Lee Frost is a best selling author who has written numerous best selling photography books. The book is filled with many pages of great photos, tips and information on how to compose and capture these beautiful scenery. For me, it has been a source of great photo ideas and many "ah ha" moments.

The A-Z of Creative Photography

The "Nifty Fifty" Camera Lens

2008-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in low light photography and can't afford the fancier and more expensive lens, I would strongly recommend the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II (see link) and below is why. (Remember it is not the lens that give you a great photo, but rather your ability to see and imagine how the light falls on your subject and capture that poignant moment. Lens is just a tool)

50mm f/1.8 II, often called the "nifty fifty" by pros. It is the best value for money lens out there. 50mm is the normal focal length, so no distortion (as opposed to if you use a wide angle lens to shoot a large group photo). It is very inexpensive < $85 today, (mind you, I bought mine 2 1/2 years ago when it was selling for $65 on Amazon, so interestingly, same lens, but it has gotten more expensive). With an f stop of 1.8 (hence a fast lens), and if you use a tripod, you have all the tools you need to get very natural photos in available light. You could spend a whole lot more on fancier lens, but this will do the job for a fraction of the price. I have many other better lens, but this is the one I will always have in my bag, because it is very light, no problem with handheld, it will perform admirably where other lens can't (e.g. in low light).

Happy shooting.

2008-11-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Below is another Must Read for any aspiring photographer who wants to take their black and white darkroom techniques to the next level. A great companion book for an intermediate photographer.

Mastering Black & White Photography: A Unique Case Study Approach to Achieving Professional Results (Mitchell Beazley Photography)

by John Garrett

"Bestselling photographer John Garrett shares the knowledge he’s gained in more than 40 years shooting the most popular subjects in black and white: portraits, landscapes, still lifes, nudes, architecture, and art, as well as photojournalism. What makes this guide such a unique teaching tool is Garrett’s in-depth presentation of 35 case studies, each containing the whole story of the assignment—from negative to contact sheet to finished print. He makes no apologies for laying out the worst as well as the best of his work to reveal the both the problems faced by a professional photographer and their solutions. A range of subjects, types of commission, and photographic approaches are covered, and Garrett’s accessible and informative text is packed with advice, techniques, and tips."

How To Create A Great Photo Blog

2008-11-28T14:10:00.001-08:00

I have gone back and re-visit Create Your Own Photo Blog book by Catherine Jamieson again. It has been a source of inspirations and great ideas for me.

A short list of my all time favorites can be found here: Books for Budding Photographers

Create Your Own Photo Blog
by Catherine Jamieson

"Whether you seek to showcase a professional portfolio or just want your family across the continent to see the pictures from the reunion, you can do it with a photo blog. Catherine Jamieson, whose award-winning blog, Utata, has a legion of fans, gives you all the tools you need in this richly illustrated, full-color guide. She translates Web lingo, walks you through setting up your blog, and provides professional tips on composing, shooting, and editing your photos. Jamieson even helps jumpstart your creativity with 100 photo ideas to get you shooting."

We Are Living in an Internet Spiral

2008-11-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Pike Place Market Blur, I love the unintentional result
Today we seem to be in a tricky spiral. We get sucked up into this internet world, willingly or unwillingly. We find ourselves migrating more and more of our daily lives to the web each day. Today, our lives are increasingly an open book; we bank online, we shop online, we make travel arrangements online, we post pictures of ourselves, our friends and our families online, we blog, we laugh, we cry and we seek out someone at the other end to listen. We are "connected" to everyone who has internet access 24/7, whether we consciously want to - or not. We implicitly trust the other person at the other end, that he or she has no malicious intent and that they at least will treat us in the good and noble way we treat them. While we are connected in this World Wide Web, every second, web hackers try to get access to our PCs and steal our personal information. Every so often, we were prompted by our computer that it had successfully blocked an attempt to gain access. It freaks us out and we rush to Frys or Best Buys, to buy a nicely boxed web internet security software...Norton, TrendMicro, Zone Alarm or McAfee just to name four of the hundreds out there, forking out $39.99 a pop. We hope this will finally give us a piece of mind. To our dismay, we find ourselves embarking on a never ending merry go round journey of spending more and more money protecting our information as newer and more sophisticated internet viruses and worms flourish across the World Wide Web each day preying on us as soon as our digital guard is breached.

We would like to appeal to the good side of our peers at the other end of the World Wide Web that they would not hijack our information for their personal gains. That is the premise of most people who have migrated their lives online. Unfortunately, the digital assassins of the hacker hordes are constantly waging a war - seeking to harvest their thirst for instant gratification and financial gain as they monetize the information they are able to gather from our PCs. They are working faster than our paladins of security can mount defenses. Over and over again, even with web security software already in place on our computer, we are alerted of fresh attempts across the internet to gain access to our information. Each time, we freeze and then dash out to see if we should fork out another large sum of money to buy newer and more current AntiVirus software. We just don't want to have to through these frequent adrenalin rush again. To me, this just sounds like a bad musical chair between the hackers, the Anitvirus software manufacturers and you and I. It is going to end badly one day with once again us, the consumers left holding the bag.

I am just an ordinary gal who is very alarmed by how readily everyone has embraced the internet and swiftly migrated their lives online. I appreciate the many good things that have come out of the internet revolution that is moving us forward - whether we want it or not. No doubt, the power of the internet is evident in the recent historic election that is putting the first African-American President in the White House. A mighty feat indeed. The internet has also provided a voice for many ordinary folks whose lives are impacted by sweeping decisions made by a powerful few on the Hill. It has allowed them to have a say and hopefully initiate positive change. I am not arguing against using the internet totally as it has greatly increased productivity for many of us. I am merely asking if it isn't time that we draw a line in the sand on how far and how emcompassing we conduct our daily lives on the internet so the bad does not overwhelm the good. Is it perhaps not time to step back, take a stand and think hard where we really want to go from here.

Be suspicious when everyone is complacent as the saying goes. I fear this is one of those monsters that will blow up in our face someday. Has anyone considered this possibility?

Lake Union and Center For Wooden Boats - A Visit In The Rain

2008-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

It was a wintry morning as we drove up north on I5, I had with me a tiny umbrella and a small backpack full of camera gears (well, my mindset is still very much that of an island girl from sunny Southern California, never needed a raincoat then, and don't have one now). I was convinced that at some point the rain is going to stop and the sun is going to pierce through those rain clouds. Shall we say I was secretly hopeful my trip would not be in vain.

I got out of the car (I was getting dropped off) at the parking lot at Joeys. The rain was coming down hard still, making little pools out of sidewalk around the Lake (Union). My camera backpack and I huddled and we walked sheltered by my little umbrella, sizing up the view as if ready to jump into action as soon as the weather permits.

I was in a pensive mood, deep in my own thoughts, surrounded by a sweeping view of big yachts that line the dock in the near view. It was still early and there was not a soul on deck. In this bad economic climate, these mega yachts are probably a rather expensive toy for the fortunate few. I often wonder about the amount of diesel they consume just to be out in the water but I guess we all have different goals in life, who am I to judge.

As my eyes scanned the horizon to the left of me, gorgeous sailboats appeared in my view. Like a little girl I walked as fast as I could and soon arrived at a covered wooden porch for a quick shelter from the rain. The charming shelter turned out to be a workshop for students at the Center for Wooden Boats, a place to work on boat carpentry. The view of the wet wooden platform leading to the Center was quaint and beautiful. I took out my beloved Canon A1 and loaded a roll of TriX 400 and proceeded to shoot a few frames. Armed with my Canon 10D in my other hand, I snapped a series of shots as I walked down the wet and slippery walkway, composing my shots of the many elegant canoes in bright red, blue, and white and wooden sailboats tied to the marina platform. Raindrops were still falling around me, and the water danced with little round circles. I was geedily happy as I clicked the shutters away.

It was indeed a trip in the rain good for my soul

ⓒSoCalIslandGirl.com

Digitally Speaking

2008-11-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

I spent a big chunk of my day today digitally rendering a few of my still life photos using art filters in Photoshop. I like the artistic filters more than others, such as the stylised (glowing edges), mosaic tile texture and neon glow filters. I often adjust the parameters like brush size and intensity in each makeover until I arrived at the image I like. I usually start with a still life photo I took of my favorite subject. Most of my stock worthy ones are on Fotolia for sale, and the unique non stock ones (well to the eyes of the beholder anyway) are getting a second look and worked on digitally. The process is fun and it often consumes me for a couple of hours. I feel like I am a child playing with crayons again.

Below is one of such digitally rendered art. It came from a still life photograph of two pastel colored acrylic cups. Colors and light are my two favorite subject matters in photography and art and one could imagine I love Henri Matisse's art. I have always been so awed by his use of colors and light in his paintings and his art. The walls of the cups in the image below seem to crackle and shimmer with light. I am going to see about putting this image on a couple of cool items on Zazzle

Waking Up Empty

2008-11-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

I miss the big cities, where Japanese and Thai restaurants line every street corner, where you could smell the cooking in the kitchen many blocks away. People are interesting to talk to, they may or may not have traveled the world, but they are colorful and at times intellectual in their own little ways. You could see their eyes when you have a conversation and occasionally you could feel their soul and they could feel yours.

The life that everyone embraces in this twenty first century scares me. Technology has taken over, we have become this person at the other end of the machine talking to another person on another machine. I don't know why some men profess they want a real relationship with a woman as they seem to be spending all their waking hours on the internet, chatting, watching, reading about other people's lives they have never met and do not have a physical relationship with. Everything seems so good and perfect across the bandwidth and everyone puts their best foot forward. We have no responsbility to them, and we carry on a conversation on the internet. It is so convenient that it has taken a life of its own. We are definitely marching forward with each step we took, and there is no turning back.

You could say I am dis-enchanted, and I would not deny it. I only yearn for an old fashioned romance, one you could hang your hat on. Am I this far off?

A Not So Funny Story, What Was I Thinking

2008-10-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last August, I spent a week in Oregon, primarily along the coast around Seaside and Astoria as well as the famed Oregon Willamette wine country near Yamhill and Newberg. I rented a car for a week and decided that I would play tourist for a change and enjoy the beautiful countryside even if it was your typical sizzling hot summer days.

The highlight of my week long holiday was my trip to Oregon's Willamette Valley where vineyards and wineries are plentiful on both sides of route 99W. I did wine tasting at the famous Maresh Red Barn Vineyard where a charming red barn marks a beautiful vine country landscape. The Pino Gris was beautiful, crisp, light, with a hint of fruit. The Pino Noir was equally magnificent.

This was the last day of my week-long holiday and I was heading off to Portland airport the same afternoon. It seemed like a perfect ending to my little sojourn that I should get a bottle of my beloved Pino Gris to bring home to California, and I did.

I had traveled light, as best as I could but I still had one too many carry on bags after a little shopping here and there. So I quickly checked in one of my heavier cabin luggages which I had packed ahead of time that morning. I did not think too much about the bottle of Pino Gris in my hand, thinking I will just stuff it in inside my hand carry messenger bag together with my digital camera. This way I can be sure the bottle does not break, and I have it close to me (still thinking of how good it was when I tasted it). I stuffed the Pino Gris inside my hand carry bag hurriedly and proceeded to security gate.

"Madam, is this your bag?"

I thought, good God, what have I done now? what did I put in there that they needed to check? He grabbed my messenger bag and pulled out my nice bottle of Pino Gris (unopened, Oregon wine label clearly visible) and said: "Madam, this is not allowed, 3oz of fluid maximum!!" he exclaimed.

Of course, what was I thinking? I hit my forehead as I realised what he was referring to. My mind was racing, I was thinking how not to lose my precious Pino Gris.

"Well, do you want to go back out and put the bottle in your check in luggage?" he asked. No, I don't want to go back out and have them find my luggage that was probably sitting on the conveyor belt somewhere waiting to be loaded and cause unnecessary grief to everyone. Furthermore, what would my bottle of Pino Gris become after it has been thrown about inside my luggage as it was on its way to the plane's cargo hole assuming the bottle does not break? I cringed to think what it would taste like if it survived the flight.

"Did someone drop you off?" he then asked, "may be you can go back outside and give it to them?" No, a single woman enjoying a nice holiday alone must be somewhat out of the norm. "Did you buy this from the airport store outside? may be you can return it and tell them you will buy it at their store after security gate?" Good try, but this was a very exceptional bottle of wine that I could only buy from the vineyard. He was clearly trying to help..........

What do I do now? Go back out and drink it all? I suppose I could, but a warm Pino Gris would ruin my palate forever, seriously, not mentioning that that was not my idea of enjoying good wine. Out of utter frustration, I said to the very helpful security guy, "you know what, you guys drink it, it is on me, it is very good" To that he looked at me and smiled and replied " Madam, shall I discard it then?"

"Do what you need to, Sir" I said (respectfully).

As I walked away, he dropped my precious bottle of Pino Gris into the black plastic container with a big label "DISCARD". Ouch!! That really hurts.

What a traumatic experience! When I was paying for the Pino Gris, they were asking me if I wanted a chilled bottle and if I was planning to drink it right away. That was the omen!!! I should have taken up on the suggestion and savored every drop of it sitting in charming garden just outside the tasting room, that would have been more satisfying than my mishap with airport security.

Moral of the story, drink your bottle of wine before you go through airport security unless there is world peace. Alas, I just don't see that happening anytime soon.

If you are looking to buy a gift for someone who wants to learn more about wine and wineries, below are two books I highly recommend.

The Prologue

2008-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

What have we become, I have been asking myself lately. We are glued 24/7, to our laptops, so eager to share our innermost feelings with strangers on the World Wide Web, making friends across bandwidth without any reservation. Our addiction to the World Wide Web has become our first and sometimes the only love we profess, to the detriment of people we really care and people who love us. Privacy did not seem to matter in this ever changing world, we seem to embrace everything as a step forward for mankind. Sometimes I feel the aliens have landed and there is no place to hide from the ever powerful eyes of Google Earth.

I yearn to run away, to a kind of utopia, with a soulmate, and a friend or two. Warm sea breeze, turqouise coral seas, and I would write a book, or work on one of my creative projects under the coconut trees. May be I am being unrealistic, yes, I guess you could say I am unrealistic as this goal has been as illusive as ever. I know what it is like as I was born on an island where many tropical islands line the seas surronding the peninsula. I spent days in the turquoise seas swimming and snorkling and rainbow colored tropical fishes come to play. My hotel room was a hut standing on stilts in the sand, with a bunk bed on each side. Each morning I would be awaken by the gentle songs of the ocean. If you had seen what I had seen, you would understand why I am dreaming to go back to my utopia. I need my soul back and I wonder if you do too.