ginad.digital

I travel everyday by seeing great images like this. Thank god...

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:49:29 -0400

I travel everyday by seeing great images like this. Thank god for tumblr.

freshly made. what do you think?

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:42:26 -0400

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

freshly made. what do you think?

Hey come on out this Thurs. nite July 8th to the Sea Crest...

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:19:29 -0400

Alan Rickman in BOTTLE SHOCK

Stanley Tucci,Meryl Streep. JULIE&JULIA

Russel Crowe. A GOOD YEAR

Meg Ryan, Kevin Kilin. FRENCH KISS

Hey come on out this Thurs. nite July 8th to the Sea Crest Resort in Pismo Beach to see Alan Rickman in Bottle Shock. That’s right our event company Cinema e Vino is going to be presenting a Wine & Waves series every Thurs in July for hotel guests at the Sea Crest in Pismo Beach. This is a fantastic hotel located right on the cliffs of Pismo Beach. One of the only hotels with beach access, heated swimming pool, jacuzzi spa, barbecues and spa services. The 26th Annual Central Coast Wine Classic is happening this week starting July 8th and goes through to the 11th. We have chosen to screen Bottle Shock for this event and if you love California wine and have not seen it, come on up & stay at the Sea Crest, see the movie and be right down the street from all the great events for the Wine Classic weekend.

I am very excited about this series! We are also going to show French Kiss, Julie & Julia and A Good Year. For the past few years we’ve been trying to come up with good wine movies. The first film that comes to everyones mind is Sideways but it’s also something we don’t want to show because it’s actually kind of a downer film. So we’ve finally come up with a little series that fits just right. Even though Julie & Julia isn’t a “wine movie” it is a “food movie” and we all know good wine & good food go together! I really hope that some of you will try to take a little road trip up this July starting on a Thurs. evening, come to Pismo, see a great film outside under the stars at our SeaSide Cinema and then explore some great wineries in Paso Robles for the weekend.

This baby deer was found sleeping on the patio of my dads house...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:24:16 -0400

This baby deer was found sleeping on the patio of my dads house in Ohio over Memorial Day weekend. She stayed there for 2 days. While we were all very concerned about her being abandoned we came to find out it was natural for the mom to leave the baby in a safe spot so predators would not get her. The mom would come and feed for a brief moment and then take off again. Apparently, this goes on for about 2 weeks after birth. It was very difficult for us not to touch her because she was so beautiful. If you see a baby deer by itself, please do not touch her or disturb her. Mother nature knows what she’s doing.

Remember my post & short film about The Gentle Barn? Well,...

Thu, 27 May 2010 02:22:48 -0400

Remember my post & short film about The Gentle Barn? Well, Here is Ellie on the Ellen show Tues. May 26th along with Portia. Portia made it out to The Gentle Barn and did this great video segment. Six years ago my partners from Gratitude Works & I introduced The Gentle Barn to Ellens production company with the intention of creating a show based on and around the Gentle Barn. Even though the show never manifested, a great gift did. Today was the day Ellie & Jay got to be the recipients of a wonderful cash donation and were able to share The Gentle Barn with a large portion of the United States. I told you gratitude works!

Finding Nemo was the premier movie screening event for the 2010...

Wed, 26 May 2010 01:42:06 -0400

Finding Nemo was the premier movie screening event for the 2010 season of Cinema e Vino. This year we are expanding towards the ocean to present our first SeaSide Cinema. The Seacrest Resort in Pismo Beach, CA is the host of a series of fun family films for all hotel guests. In addition to our great outdoor cinema the guests also get to enjoy free clam chowder from the Cracked Crab restaurant, a Pismo beach favorite. It is a beautiful setting right on the cliffs, the hotel is under new ownership and was recently renovated. When traveling to the Central Coast this is a must stop.

This is the view from the loft in downtown LA that I am doing a...

Thu, 20 May 2010 10:47:45 -0400

This is the view from the loft in downtown LA that I am doing a bathroom remodel in. Look closely, that’s the Staples Center across the street. The tower is the new Ritz Carlton Hotel and it’s all part of LA Live. Yes, LA does have city living now more than ever. As a matter of fact, I took the metro rail from the San Fernando Valley (North Hollywood) to get to the job site. The train stop is literally 1/2 block from the job site. SWEET!!

Gratitude does work

Sat, 15 May 2010 01:23:09 -0400

A few years ago I was partners with 2 other women in a small film production company called Gratitude Works. We produced short films that were spirit filled and had a wonderful time doing it. I got my directing debut on The Gentle Barn; Thomas’ Story which was based on a true story of an early onset Alzheimer’s patient who found a way back to reality for a short time at a wonderful place called The Gentle Barn. The Gentle Barn rescues and rehabilitates abused & neglected farm animals & horses while also helping people to heal their own wounds. This truly is a magical place and the experience of directing, co-producing and editing this film has been a highlight in my life. I just recently loaded the film onto my Viddler account (YouTube will not post anything longer than 10 mins, my film is 13 mins.). You may want to let it pre-load before viewing it because it is a bit long.

I like using Viddler for video hosting site because the player is fully customizable, it has a more professional look than YouTube and it has been very reliable. So, If you have something longer than 10 minutes that you really want to share, give Viddler a try.

alpaca inspirations

Thu, 06 May 2010 19:13:11 -0400

Since looking thru camera lenses and motorcycles are part of THINGS I LOVE, going for a ride and taking my camera along go hand in hand. Now that I live in an area where an afternoon ride doesn’t entail 30 minutes of fighting traffic just to get to a safe and relaxing place to ride, I get to ride my 1999 BMW R100RT (see photos below) a lot more often. All I have to do is pull out of my driveway, turn in just about any direction, drive a half mile and there it is…a beautiful array of twisty wine country roads to breeze down. Last week I went towards Templeton, the next town south of Paso Robles, for a little afternoon delight. Now that I am writing the blog, I’m always keeping my eyes open for that inspirational spot to stop and shoot something. Well, I found one of many alpaca farms in the area and did a little clip for you guys. Because the Droid video is just not reliable I will probably be looking for something else to shoot my vids on. I did do some research and found out that there is a serious problem with the video/audio sync on the Droid. I’m pretty bummed about that.

Also, I did a little photo experiment with the Droid on different focal lengths. (see the link for tutorial on this subject. Far too in depth a subject for me to get into here). See if you can figure out what the difference is in the photos below of my trusty iron (and fiberglass) steed. Do you see any similarities in the moto photos and the bottom Feed & Grain photo?

Below is a landmark in the town of Templeton. The Templeton Feed & Grain still functions today to supply local farmers. As stated on manta.com “Our records show it was established in 1946* and incorporated in California*. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $5 to 10 million and employs a staff of approximately 10 to 19.”

I stopped in Starbucks in Compton, CA (think Rodney King, 1993...

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:18:38 -0400

I stopped in Starbucks in Compton, CA (think Rodney King, 1993 LA Riots) last week while going to an auto auction in the area. This was hanging above the condiment bar. Magic Johnson & Howard Schultz do something good for the hood. One of the best Starbucks ever!

...and now for something completely different

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:54:13 -0400

For those of you who don’t know about my former life as a cinematographer and for those of you who were there, here is a “demo reel” ( aka video resume ) of the work I did on a film called Gypsy 83. I shot this film 10 yrs ago in the spring of 2000. I can not believe it has been that long. It was one of a handful of low budget independent films that I was involved in back then. We shot the film in something like 5 weeks back in New York and Pennsylvania. For all intents and purposes it was a road/coming out/goth movie about 2 friends who desperately needed to get out of Ohio, if even for a short time. Sara Rue, Kett Turton, Karen Black & John Doe ( from X the band ) were all in the film.

The demo video is posted on Youtube and since I do not have the rights to the original soundtrack I am not allowed to post the music. The soundtrack is some great old classic alternative rock & goth rock from the 80s. Stuff like The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, Bauhaus. I used the Youtube AudioSwap for my version of the demo. I also have posted the original trailer for the film.

While so many think working in Hollywood and the film industry is a glamorous life, and it is for a few, most of us work very hard for what I consider a small reward. While I love the actual art & skill of filming, the business end of Hollywood is very challenging. Most of the time you feel like you are chasing the proverbial carrot or pushing the boulder up the hill like Sisyphus. For many years I earned a good living wage but gave up most of my personal life while filming. I am much happier now making little videos, having time for friends and family and living a much more balanced life. I hope you enjoy the videos.

The beautiful Flannel Bush blossoms continue to beautify my...

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:52:49 -0400

The beautiful Flannel Bush blossoms continue to beautify my yard. See more

baby horses and bad vids

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:27:10 -0400

So this week I really wanted to share more video with you. The experiment with the Droid is proving to be great for macro photography, bad for better vids. I don’t like the fact that I can not zoom in to get better shots of some things I would like to share. Also, the wind noise is a problem lately AND I am really bummed out about the loss of audio sync. I had a video that was only 2 mins that I would like to share about a classic car show that I found but the audio slipped again. I need to research if it is a problem with the Droid overall or if it is a problem with my Droid.

In any case here are 2 vids. Baby horses is a field I found in San Luis Obispo of mares and their foals. I don’t know that much about horses but I love how the full grown horses are protecting the babies while they sleep. The second vid, Cuesta Grade is a video tip about shooting (or why not to shoot) from the car.

Enjoy!

lets break bread

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:07:00 -0400

Earlier this week I had such a great experience. My girlfriend Mellie and I have been on the hunt for a man we have heard of in our area who makes outdoor pizza ovens. He built one in particular that we like at… a place called Farmstand 46 and we would like to build a similar one in our backyard. For some reason we have had trouble tracking down this illusive Italian because he doesn’t build them for money really, he just builds them when he feels like it and we also know that he is a great bread maker. He’s been sort of a mystery man in our minds and have half heartedly been looking to get a phone number for him. We’ve always been about 2-3 degrees of separation away from finding him.

Last Tues. at around 11AM serendipity kicked in when I entered the home of a bathroom remodel I am contracting. The homeowner, Rick was preparing a beautiful spread of cheese, salami, some beautiful artisan bread and home made Sangiovese wine. Rick, his neighbor Gaetano ( who supplied the wine) and a friend named Ciro (pronounced Cheer-o) were watching the Italian Cup soccer tournement. When I inquired about this mid- weekday festivity and began to look very interested in the food, Rick began to tell me about Ciro and how he made this beautiful bread and that he was the original owner of a gourmet cracker company called La Panzanella ( which he sold ). All of a sudden I asked if he made pizza ovens. Of course the answer was yes! So I went into the living room and said “Ciro, I’ve been looking for you!” He replied “Well, I’ma here in the living room” In any case I was invited to sit down and enjoy as well. Being a good Italian I could not say no to this offer even though it was the middle of my work day. Besides, this is exactly one of the reasons I love living in Paso Robles. People here are trying to not work so hard (and lately we are succeeding very well at that) and enjoy the simple moments of life more.

I found out that he is from an area south of Naples, Italy origianlly and was an oceanographer. Upon first site his build makes you think he was a stone mason instead of a baker, but once you enter conversation you realize how much he enjoys the simple pleasure of food, wine and people. It was a great day and I am so excitied to have met our pizza oven consultatnt. Keep you posted on the progress of that!

birth of a grape leaf captured by Droid

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:35:39 -0400

birth of a grape leaf captured by Droid

The Droid macro experiment continues…early morning spring...

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:08:00 -0400

The Droid macro experiment continues…early morning spring showers

create great opportunities for photo moments.

fallen flannel bush blossoms in my backyard

see more!

living vicariously

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:24:00 -0400

A friend of mine is in France right now on a wine education trip. She has been posting photos on Facebook via her iPhone and I am not only completely jealous of her right now but am very impressed with her photos. I wanted to share them with you because I thought they are such a good example of what makes an interesting photo.

You don’t always have to have your big SLR camera to capture great images. So much of creating a great photo is… composition. My friend has chosen to share the essence of this trip…wine & food. These are her subjects and they are all prominent in the frame. The glasses are beautiful, the food is exquisite and fortunately her iPhone camera is able to focus close enough so we can feel the detail…almost smell the wine. The perspective she has chosen for each shot is really fun to. Take a look!

In this shot she shows us the truth of life. All that matters is bread & wine!

I love how sexy the glasses above are. Knowing that my friend is really into wine and has been studying to become a sommelier, I know she wanted to convey that the shape of these glasses is very unique. Each wine varietal should be drunk from a different shape glass. The shape enhances the nose & flavor of that particular wine.

This is a beautiful perspective of the bowl of mushroom soup and the 2 wines she is enjoying with the dish. Also, notice the unique bowl it is being served from.

And how incredibly French is this dish? I can not wait to hear about what this was like. She certainly peaked my interest with this one.

Quick Droid Experiment I sometimes love to take pictures of my...

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:52:12 -0400

Quick Droid Experiment

I sometimes love to take pictures of my dog. Mostly because it’s challenging to get your dog to stay still for any photo (and of course there are those moments when you think they are just the cutest things ever). This morning I was looking into the droid camera settings and was pleased to find a macro focus setting. This is the setting that allows you to get extremely close to your subject with your camera lens and keep them in focus. As you can see the photo above of my little Chula is in very sharp focus. Her eyes are crystal clear which not only means that she stayed still while the shot was taken but that the Droids macro focus worked quite well. I was about 6 inches form her face. Not bad for a lens the size of a pencil eraser.

Also, I discovered that there is a color effect setting as well. That is how the sepia tone was achieved. I did nothing to the photo afterward. Just uploaded it directly from my phone to my Picasa Web Album and that was it. Easy as 1,2,3.

I know a lot of people have been complaining about the camera on this phone but if you know the limitations and are a somewhat skilled photographer you can create some fun images. The more I experiment with this the more fun I am having.

sea lions, chicanos & video lessons

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:01:00 -0400

I stopped by a place called Avila, CA yesterday on my way home from work. Something I like to treat myself to every now & then. Avila is a coastal town somewhat off the beaten path (HYW 101 to be specific) and sits between Pismo Beach and the town of San Luis Obispo. A better kept secret than this place is… the pier in Port San Luis Harbor which is just on the north side of the bay that Avila Beach is on. The pier is a drive on pier that has a few parking spots at the end along with a restaurant, seaside cafe, fresh fish and crab for sale and my personal favorite, lots of California Sea Lions.

On my hour long excursion yesterday I met a motorcyclist from Phoenix who was with his buddy and on their way back home from San Francisco, hung out with my sea lion friends, took some photos and shot a few vids from the new Droid phone. I uploaded the videos directly from the phone to YouTube and then added some annotations to a few of them. This was the best hour of my day! I love being anywhere on the Central Coast and I love making little movies, shooting photos and then sharing them. I decided that this blog will be a place for lots of that.

I am doing an experiment though, I will only shoot video and still photos with the Droid and work on getting the best results possible. One thing I have already discovered is the videos can not be too long, which is great as far as I am concerned ( and I’m sure you feel the same!) because the audio sync starts to slip ( words don’t match mouth ). I will not be doing any editing other than what YouTube offers. My goal is to create fun informative videos and also pass on shooting tips to those of you who want to shoot your own videos and make them as good looking as possible. Check it out.

I like how he started to tell me about the origin of Chicano and why he was proud of that. You can learn so much from people while their out doing what they love. They really talk about what they are passionate about.

Below are some videos of the California Sea Lions that live in this bay.

fixed comments

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:55:00 -0400

So happy that some of you wanted to post comments! So, I am working the kinks out on this tumblr. thing and found how to activate my comments. It was not that easy… with the theme I have chosen for my page. Fortunately, the computer classes I took back in my college days at Ohio State have stuck a little. Back then ( early 80’s ) we were taught to write code and I can not believe that I can actually make some sense out of html code now. I know enough to cut and paste and make some customization to my page ( or just really mess it up ). It reminds me of my Italian language classes that I took in those days too. I never really could speak the language but when I went to Italy I could recall some of the teachings and it helped me speak & understand enough to get by. I was not a great student to say the least so I am completely shocked when I can recall some bit of information from those days that is useful to me now.

Anyway, I hope you comment. Sorry that the color is so dark for the “comments” text. I’ll see if I can figure that one out.