Sight & Sound

Photo Revisited

2009-07-12T17:16:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite photos of my precious niece. I went back and spruced it up a bit.

2009-07-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Just something a little different. Enjoy.

Last of the swing pics...until next time

2009-07-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Here's the last two swing pics I wanted to include. If the moving one makes you sick, sorry, if you want to know how its done, here's how.

No its not photoshop, its all in the shot. You do need a camera with some manual controls.

1. Set your camera to shutter priority

2. Set your shutter to something slower. This photo was done at 1/15

3. Pop that flash up and set it to "rear" mode. This means the flash ignites at the end of the exposure so the movement streaks are behind the subject in motion.

4. As the subject moves, move the camera with it and snap the picture during movement. The slow shutter will create the streaks while the flash will freeze the subject.

5. You want the flash to freeze the subject only. You don't want the "flash" look. So turn down the flash power until it looks natural.

6. The more zoom you use the more motion streaks but the harder it will be to follow the motion.

7. Have fun doing something different! Oh, and take lots of shots. Expect to do a lot of deleting before you get that one.

Let me know how it goes. Enjoy.

Also notice that 3 of the 4 photos were taken with the sun behind the subject as the sun is going down. This makes for a much more pleasing photograph by highlighting the subject away from the background.

Swinger

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

Rowan experienced his first swing experience and of course loved it. I think his favorite part was the taste of the fine rubber seat. What's best is that I got to experience one of Rowan's firsts for once. This was a father son only outing.

Windows = great photo ops

2009-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Rowan is digging the window and now that he can hold himself in a standing position (he'll be mowing the lawn in no time) he has created some great photo opportunities. Windows are a great way of getting some nice soft lighting indoors and best of all you don't have to use the nasty pop up flash unless you want to fill in some shadows. I personally like my drama.

Accidents on the accident

2009-04-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I might take this photo further. Let me know which you like better.

Happy Accident

2009-04-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Put down your torches and your pitch forks. The happy accident is not the boy. This picture was terribly over exposed but I still really liked it so I made it work in Photoshop. Now its one of my all time favs. Thanks Photoshop.

What were you thinking?

2009-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Apple what were you thinking? I love my ipod shuffle. I think its the greatest gadget ever for working out. Well, Apple just released the new shuffle and instead of out doing the last one they have really taken a step backwards. The only way you can control the stupid thing is by using their own headphones. Awful headphones by the way. It may be a little smaller but in order to make it smaller they had to put the controls somewhere else. Seriously how small do we need the thing? I have a hard time keeping track of the one I have already! I hate when companies do this. They lock you in on their products. Well I will never buy one of these. Hopefully the one I have lasts. Thats all I can say.

But wait Jon! It talks to you and tells you what song you're listening to! While the song is playing!....seriously....what were you thinking?

PS It also has a lower battery life

Yes he does smile

2009-04-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

I would be doing Rowan an injustice if I didn't post a typical smiling photo. This is usually his expression (esp. when daddy comes home)

1/2 yr old kid

2009-04-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sitting up on his own (kind of), this young man struck such a pleasant pose.

Keep your job with the help of Gordon Ramsey

2009-03-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

If you don't know Gordon Ramsey, watch Hell's Kitchen on Fox Thursday nights at 9/8c. You'll discover one of the most ruthless, crass, and merciless character's on TV, and yes I did say character. Ratings do matter after all. Nevertheless, HK is the only show on television I will actually watch without it having been coincidentally stumbled upon. Besides being a culinary fascist, Chef Ramsey wants only the best in everything that comes out of his kitchen. It is, after all, his product. I find myself at work wondering if Chef Ramsey would approve of the product I create for our clients. Or would he curse me out and make it want to weep all over my keyboard?

Today in our tough economy, it is more crucial than ever stay competitive in our industries. Let us all break out of mediocrity and strive for that next level in our work and/or lives in general until we can finally get the approval of our inner Ramsey's.

Another great show

2009-02-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

I greatly appreciate a program (esp. on local broadcasting) that conjures up thoughts about ourselves and our association with others. "What would you do" is a show that does just that. It puts people in certain situations to see how they would react. Its actually very funny most the time but also makes us evaluate our own level of courage to stand up for the right thing. Go to abc.com and watch a couple episodes!

Diamond in the rough

2009-02-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Heather and I use Netflix and we're getting 3 at a time currently. It amazes me how infrequently I am inspired to share a movie. Most movies these days, esp. when you browse the new release blockbusters, are simply uninspiring and aim only to titillate.

Grace is Gone is a wonderful, simple movie about a father who's wife is killed in Iraq and struggles to find the courage to tell his two daughters. The acting is great (one of John Cusack's best, and for once his sister isn't in it) and the story stirs up a lot a good amount a emotions without becoming a sob story. Give it a look-see.

2009-01-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

Who would have ever thought they would come out with another Godfather. I see another american classic coming our way.

2008-12-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

In the arms of his love

2 Months

2008-11-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Look out ladies. This guy has more confidence than he can handle.

One of the few good shows left...

2008-11-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

This show "30 Days" has been around for a while. It's into its 4th season now. However, we've just started watching it (thanks Netflix) and we love it! I think it's one of greatest shows on TV today, not for its entertainment value, which it has much of, but for its informative value. Here's the premise. One person spends 30 days in the shoes of another, and in the end, better understands his/her situation/viewpoint/belief. Its simple but great! Subjects can be anything from Illegal Immigration to Atheism to 30 days in a wheelchair. Though the show leans a bit left, for all you right wing nut jobs ;-), let it go. It is very informative will always bring a new perspective in your life. Check it out. Its on FX if you have cable, we don't so we do Netflix, which is better anyway.

Oldie but a goodie

2008-11-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

Since my wife won't let me "shoot" her these days, I had to pull from a past photo shoot we had. She sat at the kitchen table in front of the white wall. I simply brightened up the wall in Photoshop to a bright white (and a few other adjustments). Voila! Home studio...

Mo Ro!

2008-11-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

Enough Rowan already? Well since Heather won't let me get within 25 feet of her with a camera in my hand, I resort to the one with slightly less agency.

Rowan on Black

2008-10-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

Forget silly baby photos! I like to see my baby deep in thought. This was Rowan just before he asked. "Daddy, why do bad things happen to good people?"

Striking!

2008-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken in Kanab, UT. I happened to be at a great place at the time of the storm. The shot consists of probably two or three strikes. In order to capture lightning you must have a camera that allows for the shutter speed to be changed. For this shot the shutter was open for 30 seconds in shutter priortiy mode (camera decides the aperture setting automatically) to allow for the camera to capture at least one strike. Its a lot of luck and patience. Oh and don't forget the tripod! Impossible without it.

More Baby

2008-10-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Cloverfield

2008-09-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

We watched Cloverfield over the weekend. I know I am way behind the times. It's been out of theatres for a while now. It got pretty good reviews which is why I rented but didn't really see what the hype was all about. If you don't know what its about, basically a weird monster attacks Manhattan. The End. Meanwhile there is some love interest going on but thats it. The only reason the movie had so much hype was the way it was shot, through a hand held camera being operated by one of the victims. This is movie that can only be fully enjoyed (if at all) in the theatre with great sound and a huge screen that will hugely increase the effect they were going for aka "how many people can we get to puke" I thought the movie was simply a gimmick that didn't have a plot to carry it. Not one of my recommendations.

Rare moment

2008-09-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

With Rowan's busy schedule, its difficult to catch him when he's taking his nap. However, in between his Pilates class and brunch, I managed to snap a rare shot of him sleeping.

On a side note - Because I wanted to incorporate photography in this, not simply photos but also the art and technique. I wanted to use this photo to bring up what is called Depth of Field. If you look you can see that Rowans blanket is mostly out of focus, his face is mostly in focus and the background behind him is again completely out of focus. That shallow area that is mostly in focus is called Depth of Field. A shallow D.O.F is much desired in portrait photography. It can be manipulated in Photoshop but it doesn't look as natural.

To achieve this effect you can do one of these things (or both to increase the effect)

1. Back up and zoom in. The further in you zoom the less DOF you have. Great for portraits.

2. Open your aperture all the way up (put it on the lowest number) your camera may or may not have that manual capability. If it doesn't put it to "Portrait" mode and it will somewhat do it for you automatically. The aperture on the lens I used can be opened up much more than most lenses. This is how I was able to achieve that effect.

Try it out.

"Smile"

2008-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's not often you see a new born smile, however, because Daddy is sooo funny, he just couldn't hold it in any longer.

Ulrich Schnauss (featured artist)

2008-09-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to feature one of my newly favorite discovered artists, Ulrich Schnauss. Please check out "Letter from home" below. Its sure to lift your spirits.

Rowan

2008-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Conditions are perfect...

Vitals are good, epidural is turned up to 11...

IV is in making sure all is good and liquid...

and after a "few minutes" of pushing, Will Ferrell pulled the little guy out

Here he is just laughing hysterically

All the laughing made him tired. Now he is very serious.

After all this Heather still looks gorgeous. I think Rowan agrees.

Rowan has very large feet. Obviously from Heather.

...and the funny thing is, he does it to himself.

2008-09-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Heather and I both agree how much of a blessing our special little guy is. A rare gem.

Photography on a budget

2008-09-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Some of you have seen this of my darling nephew Andrew. It was taken with a used 50 dollar lens on my entry level Nikon. You don't have to spend for quality....just wanted to drive that point home.

It just keeps looking smaller

2008-09-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Every time I handle some of the more higher end D-SLR's Im reminded of how small my Nikon D40X is. However, I love my camera and it takes great pictures. All of the photography posted on this site (minus the header picture, that was taken with a Kodak Easyshare that I handed down to Heather :-) The camera has been replaced so Im sure there are people selling theirs for cheap. If you want to step up to a DSLR I would highly recommend it. You don't have to spend a fortune to get good pictures.

I knew I only needed my Nikon D40X!

2008-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that this lens came out, you have no idea. I was just about to post on the new Nikon D90 which is supposed to be the cat's pajamas for only $1,000 ;-) but as I was looking for a picture for it I saw the announcement for this. I don't need the D90 anymore. Its about time that Nikon released a 50mm that fits with my camera. Now to come up with $440 bucks.

Tempe Town Lake Bridge

2008-09-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Though I don't like this photo much as far as content, it does have a very cool effect. This was my first attempt at an HDR photo. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Basically by combining 3 or more images you can capture much more range of detail in highlights and shadows than just one exposure. I use a software called Photomatix. Its not free unfortunately, Im just using a trial right now. For more on the process of HDR go here. I'll let someone else get into the details.

An amazing discovery!

2008-09-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Watch this amazing discovery. I find it quite beautiful despite of what my wife thinks.

And please......share your thoughts.

Lackluster (Featured Artist)

2008-09-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

To kick off the featured artist string, I'm featuring Lackluster. One man out of Helsinki, Finland. Lackluster is minimal techno. Its melodic and great for a good lie down. Check out a few tracks from the playlist below. If you're too late and we've moved on click here.

Tired of Pandora?

2008-09-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Many of you who are familiar with Pandora would call that question blasphemous? I agree that Pandora is one of the best programs for music on the internet to ever come around. I use it everyday, which is the main reason I bring this up. I have found that I have almost exhausted Pandora's selection of music. I am constantly telling Pandora to not play a certain song for a month because they play it over and over.

If you don't use Pandora all the time you probably won't have this problem. But if you want something else, try last.fm for a change. Click on Radio and type in an artist and it will play music similar to that artist like Pandora. The layout is not near as convenient and you can't pause the music but you can skip as many songs as you want as far an I've seen. Also you will find that last.fm has more variety that Pandora is missing. They also have a huge library of full tracks you can listen to on demand. If I'm behind the times and you are already using it or something better let me know.

Welcome

2008-09-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. Welcome to my brand new blog named "Sight & Sound" If you were wondering if there was a title, it's written on the wall next to our visually impaired friends above, in case you didn't already see that. I'm creating this blog because my wife blogs like an addict and is getting some great response from it. If you want to know how my testicular cancer is going, just check the blog! (I don't have testicular cancer by the way) Our focus here will be based mostly around sight and sound so I will be posting personal photography (like the one you see above), videos, and featuring musical artists here and there. And if I feel a need to share something completely off topic then that will takc place here too. I'll leave all the "our life as an open book" blogging to my beautiful wife. Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave any comments.