Raw Consciousness

Lots to cover...

Yes, I am alive. Lots to cover! In the meantime, watch my cat watch the universe explode*

*- according to Patrick.

- Ricardo

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - midnight dreams...

In San Diego this weekend... shooting a wedding. Got this on the way in between midnight and one a.m.:

    

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - catz....

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - Lx3 Jan/Feb 2009

Some stuff I did this year with the LX3. Some tonight even.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - something I did this weekend...

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - Zuma/Malibu Beach, CA

I decided it was time to kick myself out of the house. Also I was going to the birthday of my current photography teacher, which was to happen in the PCH Zuma beach/Malibu area. All good but turns out I arrived 24 hours earlier, as it is tomorrow, not today!

I told myself that I had to take the 7-14 lens for a walk. This is the most expensive lens (and yes, it does kick ass) but I don't know how to use. I realized that I don't think this is a landscape lens at all. A call with my teacher sort of confirmed that, after she told me her bday party was tomorrow. What to do... well, just like some other previous times, I look for *anything* to with my camera to become a photograph, I decided that, that's what I will do. I will find something before the end of the day- or I'll be damned, some photo using my 7-14.

I think I found a few things. Here's four of them:

   

And oh yes, I still love B&W a lot even for landscapes. But I have to say, the sunset was AMAZING. I was leaving then saw this spectacle. Many people pulled over. Boy/girlfriends came out of the car, took a picture next to the sunset and kissed. And I just had to get something (the last two shots are from that moment).  Hmm I wish I was at the beach... I tried returning but in just mere minutes the sun went out.  Should have known better.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - Late at work...

One of my coworkers, late at night. We have a couple of walls in the middle of the place that are the target of chalk, messages and what not. Thought it all made for a spooky photograph...

PHOTOGRAPHY - Tree...

and little guy.

UPDATE: This "photograph" has been labeled by my two teachers as dull/boring/"nothing."  This is a good example of a *BAD* 'photograph' so if you need one, now you know where to look. To me it was half and half. I guess I should heed the advice of my first teacher - if you have doubts, don't shoot it.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - first movie DSLR....

Olympus and Panasonic are planning to do this with micro four thirds, but Nikon is already there with the new D90.  I think this is going to open a lot of possibilities for those who like to shoot video. You can use all the Nikon lenses that work on that camera, get short DOF and so on.  One of the big things is substantially better low light performance.

Check their sample movies. It can be all hi def @ 24 fps (I think that means 1280x720).

Nikon D90 link.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - OLYMPUS/PANASONIC NEW Micro 4/3rds standard...

Olympus and Panasonic just jointly officially announced yesterday late- our time-  the new Micro Four Thirds standard. I had heard of something coming but it's interesting when it's finally here.

The key highlights- 

- 4/3rds is not being abandoned, both standards will continue development

- in a nutshell, a 4/3rds sensor (same sensor) in an ultra compact camera, no optical view finder, all digital LCD or EVF (electronic view finder)

- the same market in many ways of the Sigma DP1 (but I think the DP1 is now toast)

- new set of lenses for micro 4/3rds allowing according to the press release a significantly reduced lens size, of good quality, and wides/telephotos in the range.

- NO MIRROR box- part of how it's all much smaller. This also means a digital Leica M- silence.

- movie taking now possible. I am very interested to see how this pans out.

- contrast AF- but apparently a new class of much faster contrast AF- we'll see.

Very cool-> using an adapter, you can use *any* of the current 4/3rd lenses on it! That's just so nice.

At least some product coming before years end. If I had to guess, by the next Photokina which I believe it's in september.

My biggie questions so far:

- will they make a model aimed at pros? I see this new line a dream come true for street photography

- will they make fast lenses? (I want an F2.0 at least).

- Hmm... cost.

You can read more here:

4/3rds micro standard