Stuck In Customs

Live on Stage at the Google+ Photographers Conference!

Watch me tonight at 8 PM PT (11 PM ET) live on the stage at the Yerba Buena Center. Jump into my Google+ stream around that time to watch 🙂 See you soon!

People and Landscapes

If you are primarily into taking photos of landscapes, like me, I encourage you to also take lots of photos of people.  It’s a good way to keep a different kind of memory of the place.  I take MANY photos of people, but I don’t share a lot…  Maybe I should do it more… but in this one-photo-per-day system I set up on the blog, I usually choose to share landscapes instead of people.

Daily Photo – Man in Hutong

These are some of the most off-the-map areas in and around the cities of China.  These Houtongs originally meant “water wells” and were established during China’s dynastic period.  They still exist today as little cultural centers where old families live and work and sit on the steps and watch the world go by…

http://stuckincustoms.smugmug.com/Portfolio-The-Best/your-favorites/10668747_nxsXfB/1752804913_N

Space Cadets

Dallas Nagata White took this photo of Tom and me right after the photowalk.  She has a cool method for doing this…  I put it below so you can read more.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II…Yes, I shot these two with a Canon…I’m a rebel (but not a Rebel) like that. 😉
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 24 mm (It was using the EF 24mm f1.4L II, if anyone is curious…I personally love the flare it gives)
ISO Speed: 200

Two Canon Speedlites with Pocketwizard Plus II triggers…a 580EX is being held by my friend hiding in the shadows behind them, pointed into the lens, and my husband was holding a 580EXII (with a small softbox) is above me and to my left for fill. They are standing at the end of a concrete pier/jetty with their backs to the ocean, and I’m crouching in front of them. Those aren’t stars – they’re rain drops! 🙂 Although I definitely love the idea of them as stars…that’s inspiring, and a concept I’ll have to play with later.

I also posted on more shot that doesn’t have the lens flare, just rim lighting, when I shifted and the flash was hidden from the lens.

Daily Photo – Waikiki at Night

And during the photowalk, there were many great chances to take photos of the city.  It was exciting for me — it was my first time to see the city at night.   All the Oahu people were kind of used to it, I assume…  But it was also exciting to have them all around.

When I set up for these shots during the photowalks, it’s always extra-strange.  Because I’m really trying to get a good shot, but I also know that a ton of people are watching me right there.  And then I talk through my shot while I’m taking it.  And, of course, I NEED to get a good shot… there are so many vectors of attention that it can be a little distracting… but I do my best!

100 Cameras in 1 now on Windows!

100 Cameras in 1 recently passed over 1 million downloads. I’m so glad you all like it! We’re working hard to bring the app to every popular platform. I’m excited to let you know that 100 Cameras in 1 is now available on Windows. You can download it today via the Intel AppUp store!

On TV in China

I don’t think I ever posted this ridiculous behind-the-scenes scene when I was interviewed for Chinese TV.  It was filmed by my assistant with an iPhone, so it is awfully shaky.  Also, I talked a little extra-slow for the translator…  not that it helped me be more understandable or anything…

Daily Photo – Private Gardens in the Forbidden City

On a recent trip to China, I was invited to a private residence inside the Forbidden City.  I had a two-hour tea service that was pleasant and relaxing.  After this, I was allowed to wander the private gardens and inner cloisters for a while.  I took as many photos as I could, and here is one of them.

PhotoWalk in San Francisco

Are you coming to the Google+ Photographer’s Conference and joining me on my PhotoWalk on Monday the 21st? I’m getting many questions about the location, so Here Are The PhotoWalk Details!

Video Recap for Smugmug

As you know by now, I process photos out of order.  The photo I am posting today was taken on the day I made this video for Smugmug.  If you want to know more about it, see my Smugmug Review.

Daily Photo – Wind and Driftwood

It was so windy out there — I’m not even sure the video captures it!  Maybe you can see the wind ripping the top of the foam away from the waves… or maybe you can see some of the sand blowing across the beach.  And it’s just as hard to capture the feeling of it all in the photo as it is in the video.  I don’t have the benefit of multiple frames, so I try to get all of that in a single frame.  It’s a wonderful challenge and puzzle!

The Big Move!

Well two days ago the move began!

I took a nice long flight on Air New Zealand (where we received MOST excellent service) and made our way down to Queenstown, New Zealand.

Wish us luck!

I’ll keep you informed here during our adventure. It was a big decision to move the family of five here, and we are all very excited! I hope my kids get little Kiwi accents… that would be one of the wonderful little side-effects.

So, what are we dealing with here? Well, it took about a year to officially get our NZ residence visas. It was an exhausting process, but that bit of logistics is over. And then we had to begin the move of all our Stuff. The moving trucks came about six weeks ago to empty out our house in Austin, and they put all our stuff in two containers that are now on a boat en route across the Pacific. They are on one of those big boats that you see Chinese exporters using. I’m a little jealous my stuff went through the Panama Canal without me!

Now we are here in Queenstown renting a flat for a few weeks while we do hardcore house-hunting.

I’d like to buy a place that is on the lake you see below. Or, barring that, I’d like to buy land on the lake and build a house along with my studio next door. We’ll see how all that works out. Or, maybe we will buy an existing house and modify it. Or, maybe we will rent a house for six months, move our stuff in there, then find a permanent house and move in there.

As you can see, things are in disarray with our housing situation! It’s kind of a big deal, you know, choosing this location in which to live. It was too scary to buy a house over the internet – like a pair of blue jeans.

Why am I moving here? Well THAT is a longer story… I get this question a lot… I will write a longer story/video about it soon, but most of the reason is because of YOU. Because YOU have told your friends about the website and helped it grow, we can now have a bit of a lifestyle change so that I can be in a location where I can take everything I am doing to the next level. As always, I am VERY VERY VERY thankful for YOU and your support of me and the website… you have really changed my life.

And another New Zealand photo…

And here is a wonderful little video… it was made for an area of Queenstown called Jack’s Point, but it does give you a good idea of the environs…

Japanese People with Cameras

I like to watch tourists take photos.  One thing I notice is that, on average, Japanese people taking photos are happier than Americans taking photos.

Why is this?  One guess is that Japanese people design the cameras, so they are easier for people to understand over there!  Americans are often hopelessly confused by Japanese cameras, so some of their unhappiness comes from that scowl that says, “I’m not sure how this camera works.”

Daily Photo – Japanese in the Hawaii

And, continuing the theme of Japanese people, here is a couple in Hawaii.  I like how they are wearing matching outfits (her dress matches his shirt if you look closely).  I had a version of this photo with and without the people in it… and I quite like the one with them in there!