Days like this don't come often. How could I forgive myself if I didn't make good use of it? 90 minutes under the sun, my shoulders are all red now, but it was worth it.
Again, who wouldn't cherish a day like this?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
On a day like this, getting sun burned is worth it
3 days of rain, and then this morning...
Days like this don't come often. How could I forgive myself if I didn't make good use of it? 90 minutes under the sun, my shoulders are all red now, but it was worth it.
Again, who wouldn't cherish a day like this?
Days like this don't come often. How could I forgive myself if I didn't make good use of it? 90 minutes under the sun, my shoulders are all red now, but it was worth it.
Again, who wouldn't cherish a day like this?
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Shanghai 2010
It's been 8 years since my last visit to Shanghai. Seeing how this year's World Expo is being held there, I figured now would be the ideal time to visit.
More photos in my album: http://www.fotop.net/teruphoto/Shanghai_2010
Before going to the Expo, I revisited the Time Tunnel:
Some highlights from the Expo:
A parting shot from the air:
More photos in my album: http://www.fotop.net/teruphoto/Shanghai_2010
Before going to the Expo, I revisited the Time Tunnel:
Some highlights from the Expo:
A parting shot from the air:
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
112 min
That's the amount of time it took to get to work this morning. The running time of "Up" is 96 min. I could have watched the entire movie from start to finish - end credits included - and still have time for a 16 minute nap.
To provide a frame of reference on the actual distance and time, the fastest I've traveled from home to work is 48 min (Sunday morning, no traffic).
Can it still be called rush hour if every vehicle is standing still?
To provide a frame of reference on the actual distance and time, the fastest I've traveled from home to work is 48 min (Sunday morning, no traffic).
Can it still be called rush hour if every vehicle is standing still?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Slaves to Post Processing
When did photography become about spending more time with your hands on a mouse rather than a camera?
Post processing is not a new concept. From the colorizing of prints to cross processing to dodging and burning; adding effects to a photo after the fact is something that photographers have been doing for decades. The advent of digital photography simply made this process more accessible by eliminating the need for a lab or darkroom. While it can't be argued that post processing can be a very effective way to enhance one's photographic experience, somewhere along the way so many of us lost sight of what we were doing. Suddenly, "Photoshopping" became a priority rather than an optional tool.
How many times have you heard or spoken the words "I'm shooting in RAW so I'll fix it later"? RAW is an invaluable tool that allows us to correct and recover from mistakes made during shooting, but to use RAW as the foundation of your workflow seems to be such a waste of time (time that could be better spent shooting more photos). To me, RAW is like the lifejacket beneath your seat on a plane; it's good to know that it's there but it's something you shouldn't have to use unless it's unavoidable.
Most cameras have an array of settings that allow you to apply all sorts of effects the moment you shoot a photo. White balance, color saturation, contrast, exposure control; various combinations of these settings can produce a wide range of interesting effects. I think the problem that many people have is they don't think about how they want a photo to turn out until after it's been taken and they're sitting in front of a computer. To me, there's no greater satisfaction than pressing the shutter button and then seeing that your photo came out exactly the way you wanted it to. That should be the convenience of digital photography; to see the moment you take the photo whether or not you got what you want. Sure, you could shoot something and fix it later in post processing, but nothing beats getting it right the first time.
Maybe I'm lazy, but the thought of spending a large amount of time fixing all my photos after I take them makes photography come dangerously close to becoming a chore rather than a joy (the fact that digital compells some people to shoot hundreds of photos is a topic for another day). So in the coming days, my goal will be to get as much done in-camera as possible so that my time can be better spent doing what I love, rather than slaving away on things that shouldn't have needed fixing.
Post processing is not a new concept. From the colorizing of prints to cross processing to dodging and burning; adding effects to a photo after the fact is something that photographers have been doing for decades. The advent of digital photography simply made this process more accessible by eliminating the need for a lab or darkroom. While it can't be argued that post processing can be a very effective way to enhance one's photographic experience, somewhere along the way so many of us lost sight of what we were doing. Suddenly, "Photoshopping" became a priority rather than an optional tool.
How many times have you heard or spoken the words "I'm shooting in RAW so I'll fix it later"? RAW is an invaluable tool that allows us to correct and recover from mistakes made during shooting, but to use RAW as the foundation of your workflow seems to be such a waste of time (time that could be better spent shooting more photos). To me, RAW is like the lifejacket beneath your seat on a plane; it's good to know that it's there but it's something you shouldn't have to use unless it's unavoidable.
Most cameras have an array of settings that allow you to apply all sorts of effects the moment you shoot a photo. White balance, color saturation, contrast, exposure control; various combinations of these settings can produce a wide range of interesting effects. I think the problem that many people have is they don't think about how they want a photo to turn out until after it's been taken and they're sitting in front of a computer. To me, there's no greater satisfaction than pressing the shutter button and then seeing that your photo came out exactly the way you wanted it to. That should be the convenience of digital photography; to see the moment you take the photo whether or not you got what you want. Sure, you could shoot something and fix it later in post processing, but nothing beats getting it right the first time.
Maybe I'm lazy, but the thought of spending a large amount of time fixing all my photos after I take them makes photography come dangerously close to becoming a chore rather than a joy (the fact that digital compells some people to shoot hundreds of photos is a topic for another day). So in the coming days, my goal will be to get as much done in-camera as possible so that my time can be better spent doing what I love, rather than slaving away on things that shouldn't have needed fixing.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I love old songs
When I was young, I'd listen to the radio
Waiting for my favorite song.
When it played, I'd sing a long
It made me smile.
"Yesterday Once More", The Carpenters
I love listening to old songs. Digging up old favorites that I haven't listened to in years is definitely time well spent.
Not all songs stand up to the test of time but the good ones, they really blow me away. Songs can trigger fond/ludicrous memories from highschool that bring a smile to my face, put me into a thoughtful silence or move me to tears.
I love it when I listen to the lyrics and see them in an entirely different light. For whatever reason, either from experiences or a change in thinking, sometimes it feels like the lyrics were ripped from my very soul.
Some things don't get older, only better.
Waiting for my favorite song.
When it played, I'd sing a long
It made me smile.
"Yesterday Once More", The Carpenters
I love listening to old songs. Digging up old favorites that I haven't listened to in years is definitely time well spent.
Not all songs stand up to the test of time but the good ones, they really blow me away. Songs can trigger fond/ludicrous memories from highschool that bring a smile to my face, put me into a thoughtful silence or move me to tears.
I love it when I listen to the lyrics and see them in an entirely different light. For whatever reason, either from experiences or a change in thinking, sometimes it feels like the lyrics were ripped from my very soul.
Some things don't get older, only better.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Potty humor
I normally don't like chain e-mails, but this one contained some pretty good shit
***
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
"I'd love to be able to get to the top of that tree" sighed the turkey, "but I haven’t got the energy."
"Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They’re packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
The moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won’t help you stay there.
***
A bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold that the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out. He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird, promptly dug him out and ate him.
The moral of the story: Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy, not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend, and when you’re in deep shit, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
***
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
"I'd love to be able to get to the top of that tree" sighed the turkey, "but I haven’t got the energy."
"Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They’re packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
The moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won’t help you stay there.
***
A bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold that the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out. He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird, promptly dug him out and ate him.
The moral of the story: Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy, not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend, and when you’re in deep shit, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
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