Archive for June, 2006
June 30th, 2006
This post marks my departure from Japan and a return to travel for me. That means that I won’t have the opportunity to waste endless hours scouring the Internet for all things photographically interesting. Instead, I will now shift back into travel writing mode (and I hope that’s at least somewhat interesting).
My upcoming plans are vague and mutable, but here’s the gist: I will be leaving Japan on July 1st and heading back to Thailand. My return ticket takes me to Bangkok where I will spend a little time photographing the city. When I first swept through the metropolis, I took a stroll up and down Khao San Road, and that was about it before heading off to other parts of Thailand (and many people have said I made a wise choice).
But, I will have at least a week or two to spend in Bangkok and/or nearby destinations inside Thailand. That may turn into a month depending on how much I’m enjoying myself.
When my Thailand fun is finished, the plan is to head down to Australia. The cheapest entry point is Darwin - one of the most Northern cites in the country. I’ve been told that there’s not much good reason to stay in Darwin, so I expect to quickly buy a ticket out of Dullsville (if that’s what it turns out to be).
But that’s where the planning ends. I mean, I don’t even have a guidebook for Australia yet. I just know that soon after arriving in the country, I will likely be putting that working holiday visa of mine to use with whatever job I can find. Prices down under are going to come as a shock to my stretched budget, so I expect to be temping/fruit picking/working construction/dreaming of a photography job/whatever work I can find sooner than later.
I aim to keep posting fun stories and adventures on a regular basis, so I hope you’ll come back and keep up with me.
June 29th, 2006
Just in time for both the Fourth of July and Canada comes a guide from Digital Photography School on how to photograph fireworks. In addition to the tips mentioned in the article, I would add that finding a good vantage point before the show starts is what will make your photographs truly stand out. If possible, find out from where the photographs will be launched, then do some scouting in the area to see how you might best frame the fireworks in your shots.
June 29th, 2006
Photographers of Getty Images have been busy at the World Cup and have been posting their photos and experiences on the Getty Images Sports Blog. The page provides some interesting insight into what it’s like to shoot such a major event and also features the occasional useful tip from some of the better sports photographers in the world.
June 28th, 2006
Creativebits has a brief look at PhotoShop 1.0 that will undoubtedly spawn some sighs of relief that the product has come so far from its early days. Though, one screenshot does reveal that even in 1990, PhotoShop had support for 32-bit colour!
If you’re a Mac user and Software update hasn’t told you so yet, OS X version 10.4.7 is available.
Microsoft has announced the acquisition of iView media whose Media Pro software is an invaluable tool for photographers seeking to organize large collections of images. The iView line will continue develop under Microsoft and will likely serve as part of a larger Microsoft foray into digital imaging.
Lastly, DIY Photography, in this article, shares some musings on the art of photography.
June 26th, 2006
I have just added a travel photography portfolio to the site. This micro-site provides a concise selection of my photos for anyone who is feeling a little overwhelmed by the thousands of photos on this site.
Please have a look and feel free to let me know what you think.
June 26th, 2006
DIY Photography has an article that explores photographer’s rights and their sense of respect for their subjects.
The question of photographer’s rights is frequently a tricky issue as a travel photographer where local laws and customs are frequently unknown to you, but as this article mentions, erring on the side of being respectful is a good tactic. Unfortunately, sometimes you won’t always know the proper way to be respectful.
As an example, while shooting the morning precession in Luang Prabang, Laos, I watched a photographer break every rule for shooting the monks and their daily ritual. A little reading beforehand or talking to any of the enthusiastic novices in the area would have told this photographer what was acceptable behaviour and what was not. In fact, at most of the temples in the city, there are signs posted that list the guidelines for photography, so I truly don’t think this photographer could have even used ignorance as his excuse.
He’s an example of someone who probably knew the rules and chose not to exercise much respect. I’m more forgiving of those who err out of ignorance in such cases - it can be difficult to keep track of who wants to be treated how. But wherever you go, with the first English-speaking local you find, just ask about local attitudes towards photography and you’ll be well on your way to being able to treat others as they would have you treat them.
The point being that common sense is the foundation of the respect you may have for your subjects, but frequently, you may need to do some research to discover just what respect means for different people.
June 23rd, 2006
DSLRBlog.com has a guide to DSLR lenses that’s worth a look for anyone in the market for some new glass.
If you are going to be shopping, before making your purchase, I would recommend making a stop at Fred Miranda’s review section where you can get multiple reviews on each product (lenses and camera bodies) from users who have already made the purchase.
June 22nd, 2006
In an effort to deter photography of sensitive subjects and copyrighted material, researchers at Georgia tech have begun the development of a device that will cripple the use of digital video and still cameras. The system works by scanning the area using infrared beams for the reflection produced by digital camera sensors then beaming light into the camera to blind it. The light is out of the visible spectrum and also said to be harmless to human beings.
Notably, however, this system is incapable of disabling DSLR cameras. The mirror on DSLRs blocks the scan from seeing the sensor, so the more professional cameras are safe from this device.
In addition to its limitations with DLSRs, the system seems as though it would be easy to circumvent. A one-way mirror, an infrared filter or perhaps even a polarizing filter would conceivably block the sensor from being detected.
One of the main purposes of the camera blocker is to help prevent movie piracy by disabling video cameras in movie theatres. It has a host of other potential applications such as defending high-security areas and keeping trades secrets safe at trade shows.
My hope is that this does not become an over-used or abused technology. Would the world have ever known about Abu Ghraib had such devices been installed there? And if it had been mounted to the police car of the officers who beat Rodney King?
If this technology comes to fruition, I can only hope its use is strictly regulated.
June 21st, 2006
Yes, the 111-megapixel sensor I mentioned yesterday has been bested, but not by a single image. Instead Andre Gunther has created this 222-Megapixel photo of Machu Picchu the slightly-more-old-fashined way: by piecing together multiple photos in photo-stitching software. The fantastic detail is well worth a look as is the tutorial on creating ultra-high-resolution images.
Due to all the traffic Gunther’s image has received, the original site may be unavailable. If so, try this mirror.
June 20th, 2006
Though consumers can’t expect to see this kind of resolution in their cameras anytime soon, the new 111 megapixel sensor developed by DALSA Semiconductor lets the imagination run wild for photo enthusiasts. It’s the first digital photo sensor to break the 100 million pixel barrier and will ultimately be used for mapping the motions and locations of celestial objects.
The sensor is approximately four inches by four inches, so no amount of cramming will get it into today’s DSLRs. Besides, the power of the computer you would need to process the images is well beyond most people’s means. I think my powerbook might choke to death if I tried to manipulate a 10,560 x 10,560 pixel image in PhotoShop.
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