Stuck In Customs

Upcoming Review of Nikon 18-200 Lens

This is probably an unexpected lens for me to buy, but I’m really getting a kick out of it! I’ll be sure to update the Nikon 18-200 Review when it is all done.  I’ve been using it a lot in the last few weeks and I quite like it.  I wasn’t sure for a while…  mostly because it is a DX lens.  But I am using it in a bit of an unconventional way — anyway, a full review will come when I get a bit more time!

I added a few pictures of the new lens on my camera while here in Japan. You can get an idea of the relative size of the thing… it’s certainly a lot smaller than the 24-70mm or the 70-200mm. By the way, this will be the crux of my review… that is more convenient and lighter, and the higher f-stop is not a problem whilst in a tripod.

The 18-200 lens retracted at 18mm on the body of a Nikon D3X

Daily Photo – From the Forest, Across the Valley

I’ve read several interesting anthropological studies of what people like to see in paintings.  I assume the same thing goes for photos.  I don’t hyper-analyze all the constituent parts, but I do notice when they come into play naturally.  There are a number of features that are desirable, most of which track back to a genetic history of the Pleistocene.  One interesting bit is that we like the idea of being near the protection of a forest while looking out across a wide plane that has a sense of scale.

Well there is plenty of that in New Zealand!  This spot was found on the long drive to Milford Sound.  I had so many wonderful distractions along the way…  how can I not stop for something like this?

Another New Video Soon!

I just finished editing together a cool video interview I did with Alfie Goodrich here in Japan a few days ago. He has borrowed an awesome medium-format digital camera, and I asked him a bunch of questions about it. I think you will enjoy learning a little about the camera, about Alfie, and about his photography!

Daily Photo – Sleeping Snow Monkeys

This was not an easy place to find!

I’ve always wanted to come see the wild snow monkeys… and so I just decided to make it happen this trip. Way up in the mountains of Japan, near Nagano, there is a troop of several dozen wild snow monkeys that roam all around a set of mountains. I didn’t know if I’d be lucky enough to catch them or not… some say it is hard, and some people say it is easy. But you never really know! I set out to do my best and see what I could find.

Towards the very top of the cold mountain, there is a hot spring that churns out super-heated water that smells of sulfur. It fills this little pool and the monkeys come down during the day to lounge about, play, rest, eat, and all kinds of other wonderful things.

I spent two days on this mountainside.  In the evening, I slept on the floor of a nearby ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese inn.  There are about 30+ more stories about things that happened here, including eating crunchy crickets, but I will leave those to accompany future photos.

Update! I got to spend a whole afternoon with Hans!

To get that full story, see “Hans Zimmer in His Studio.”

First Round – Hi Res Versions Now Avail

When I first got to Hans Zimmer’s Lair, I posted a few photos, but only one had the hi-res link. I know sometimes people like to click through to see the huge size and check out all the details.

Now, you can click through all of them here below. To see the full size, click on the photo, and then click on the “O” for “Original size” at the top of the SmugMug page. It’s a little hard to see there – it’s right beside the “X Large” text at the top.

Daily Photo – Hans Zimmer’s Studio

It takes me a long time to process these photos, as you guys know by now. This is good and bad… One side-benefit of the “good” is that it allows me to leave many open threads and story-lines that are continued for months and years on end (much like Lost, where certain bits get lost forever). For example, I know everyone is waiting to hear about the dead body I saw in Indonesia… people love dead body stories. But you have to wait for the next Indonesia street shot for that! Hehe…

Today, I have three more photos from the studio.

The first is his massive bank of monitors that almost circumnavigate his keyboard. His team blanked out all the monitors so I could not capture his next secret project (which is not nearly as cool as his secret project with me, which is, indeed, so secret that Hans does not even know about it yet).

The second photo is of his grand piano where I assume his plans many of his compositions. He had a very cute photo there of his son, like any good dad. I normally don’t re-arrange scenes, but I did move that photo to protect the privacy of the family.

The third photo is the serpentine wiring system that keeps all the electrons flowing in the right directions. Seeing this, I’ll no longer fret the next time I need to go re-wire my home stereo.

Tokyo HDR Workshop and upcoming HDR DVD

Thanks again to my new friends from the HDR Workshop here in Tokyo over the weekend.  I had a great time and enjoyed getting to know everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying your new secret access to the special part of the site!  Hmmm what could that be?

All of the inside scoop that I shared with them will be available on the upcoming HDR DVD.  Be sure to pop over to that link and sign up so you can get the latest info.  I’ll be sure to include special bonus info on this secret part of the website as well…

Daily Photo – Parking in Tokyo

During the workshop, Alfie found a cool spot for us all to visit. They had a bunch of beautiful cars parked under a bridge, and these were prime suspects for a bit of HDR treatment!

Look at the license plate on that car! Cool – Number 7. I wonder how you get car number 7 in all of Tokyo. There was some discussion that these beautiful low-number cars were often mafia vehicles. I don’t know if I believe that, but it certainly sounds cool!

Thanks John P!

John P from One Man’s Blog recommended that I go try to get some proper shots of Arlington Cemetery… so, you have him to thank for these photos. Thank him by visiting his blog… he’s got a whole potpourri of goodies on there; I’m sure you’ll find something you like!

OpenCamp Dallas

Speaking of John P – he’s putting together a mega-blogging conference in Dallas called Open Camp. I recommend it! Whether you have a small blog or a big blog… for fun or for money… I think you will learn a lot, meet interesting people, and have a good time!

I’ve gotten some questions – wondering if I am going too. I do not know yet! My schedule is up in the air… But I do have it penciled in and would like to make it happen.

Daily Photo – The Endless Rows of Arlington Cemetery

Not too far from the capitol in DC is the sprawling expanse of Arlington Cemetery. It is a very somber place… It was just my son and I, walking around for quite a while together. I think it all made an impression on him.

We stayed so long into the evening — we were the last ones there! Except for the security guards, who walked with us as we were leaving, since they locked up behind us. It was nice, however — they took their time and let me set up for a few final shots with the tripod as the light was falling behind the storm clouds.

Processing Photos Out of Order

Some of you that have heard me talk have heard my discussions of why you should process photos out of chronological order. I was reminded of this because of these Cambodia photos, like the one below.

Boiled down, here are some reasons:
1) It is silly to feel “overwhelmed” by processing one group of photos before you can process the next.
2) If you process them all right away, then you will not know all the processing tricks you will learn in the next few years
3) There is a lot of excitement in going back to revisit places you have been… it keeps all memories in a constant tumble-dry.

Daily Photo – Under the Ancient Skies

Sometimes, an HDR image of a cool place can come out a little boring, even in an interesting place such as this.  So, often times I will run the image through a black and white treatment which can help take a boring photo and make it more interesting.

As I begin the processing, I sometimes discover a photo is more about shape, line, and contrast than it is about color, light, and saturation.  It’s all still there, in all it’s HDR glory, but the emphasis has had a bit of a correction.

More Adventures in Hans Zimmer’s Studio Coming Soon

Watch this space for three more photos from Hans’ amazing studio coming up soon.  I’ve had a chance to process more photos, and I’ll be releasing them very soon!

You can see the first set of photos here in “The Secret Lair of Hans Zimmer“.

New Print Available – Hindu Ascent

There is a new Limited Edition Numbered Print available.  It is called “Hindu Ascent”.  This was taken as this old woman, who has never cut her hair, ascended hundreds of steps on her daily pilgrimage to a Hindu shrine.

Contact [email protected] for info on getting this limited p

Daily Photo – The Purple Portal

When I was in Agra, I wandered around the streets surrounding the Taj Mahal for a few hours. The textures and details everywhere are an absolute field-day for photographers! There is so much to see and capture… it was totally overwhelming trying to grab all of that, while still thinking about getting into the Taj Mahal for another full slate of shooting!

So many of the little homes here are richly painted in every possible shade in the most interesting textures and shapes. This is one of many little snaps I got while walking around.

The Purple Portal

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-07-08 17:10:47
• CameraNIKON D2Xs
• Camera MakeNikon
• Exposure Time1/160
• Aperture5.3
• ISO400
• Focal Length17.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias

Previous Shot from Nearby

I did a post a few months ago called “Dale Chihuly is My Kinda Guy” (follow link for pic), which was shot only a few hundred meters from this place. That’s one of the many cool things about Vegas. Just a few more steps away and you are in a completely different place!

Daily Photo – The Consumer Tube

This is one of the new shopping areas in Las Vegas inside the City Center. At the time I shot this, the mall had just opened and many of the stores had not yet been completed… but the architecture was all in place and it was impressive from so many angles.

While I was there, I saw another dude with a tripod setup. I like seeing other photographers around with tripods… I always give them a brotherly nod of approval.

Your Favorite Podcasts?

What are some of your favorite podcasts? I’m curious! I have several that I get on a regular basis. On the video side, I get TED Talks, Diggnation, This Week in Tech, Geekbrief TV, and Macbreak Weekly. On the audio side, I get some things from the BBC, This Week in Photography, and the Economist.

Best TED Talks

Speaking of the TED stuff above, I’ve assembled a collection of the Best TED Talks, at least in my opinion.  There are many more — I just have not had time to link them up yet!

Daily Photo – The Incredible Apple Store

I think it would be cool to be an architect that could design these kind of things. These guys are really talented — I love seeing their crazy concepts come into being. As opposed to concept cars, which never make it into production, even the most outlandish buildings seem possible.

This is one of the Apple Stores in New York City. The entire thing is a dreamy glass cube with a floating white Apple logo right in the middle. The actual store is underground.

I have a policy about getting help at the Apple store. When in doubt, talk to the guy with the beard.

Photoshop Tools

I’m in the middle of my weekend workshop here in Tokyo and we are having a great time. People flew in from Hong Kong and Shanghai for the event – cool! I gave everyone a bunch of homework… we will see how they do!

During the class, I’ve been showing people some of my other tools that I use regularly. In case you do not have them, I suggest you check out the:

• OnOne Plugin Review – A rich set of products that has a very deep toolbox!

Daily Photo – Mozart’s Coffee in Austin

This is one of my favorite places in Austin!  Like many other are coffee shops, it’s one of those spots that techies go to be alone, together.  If you know what I mean.

It’s full of Macbook laptops, coffee, coffee-related products, and sweet sweet Web 2.0 geeks.  It used to be uncool to be a geek… but now it is quite socially acceptable.  The ironic thing is that geeks gave up the concept of social acceptability a long time ago… so we are all somewhat aloof to this newfound status.