tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189287192024-02-19T20:51:25.572-06:00Photo ExpressionsRandom ramblings on what I'm shooting at the moment.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger496125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-52949266817321321582012-10-08T14:49:00.000-05:002012-10-08T14:50:03.318-05:00Gran & Grandpa and OliviaFirst time meeting the Scottish grandparents.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgregorphoto/8062552642/" title="untitled-4280 by Gordon McGregor, on Flickr"><img alt="untitled-4280" height="281" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8062552642_651d9fae42.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgregorphoto/8062548941/" title="untitled-4148 by Gordon McGregor, on Flickr"><img alt="untitled-4148" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8062548941_c9306703da.jpg" width="500" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-83068735436167390552012-09-21T12:24:00.001-05:002012-09-21T12:24:33.684-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't imagine where the time's gone. You'd think I'd been busy or somethingUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-44230105708025590992012-02-02T23:16:00.001-06:002012-02-02T23:17:13.737-06:00chucklevision<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of Amanda's. Too good not to share.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-42230929248516972932012-02-02T00:22:00.002-06:002012-02-02T00:23:02.592-06:00More O<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-78178758318477835252011-12-31T16:25:00.002-06:002012-01-10T16:12:39.374-06:00little O<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBwziQiWSAzwZGA2NxK4dgso4gTk82RoBHkBgOWS0niEtf4r7AiDnRufrbRz6rB_KSYFnvA89BpUrx8Mi2ER7igcilCLKQLyHq-33pDx3Z5RhE3Qkito6PpLfY75M82eclQwrMQ/s1600/olivia-6-2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBwziQiWSAzwZGA2NxK4dgso4gTk82RoBHkBgOWS0niEtf4r7AiDnRufrbRz6rB_KSYFnvA89BpUrx8Mi2ER7igcilCLKQLyHq-33pDx3Z5RhE3Qkito6PpLfY75M82eclQwrMQ/s400/olivia-6-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692422274013710514" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUgcAdCSgU9NoXarZLVuo2LAXeBdmy_z-bH2kquU4vlQ0imP25aj02LT1dOa8OU1gwUQDN6C4HJKySVCxGs2EI5fZTHEv9Pi502FmsYDBzsAO4PMja4AU2qf-SRjqlvfz4yKoGA/s1600/olivia-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUgcAdCSgU9NoXarZLVuo2LAXeBdmy_z-bH2kquU4vlQ0imP25aj02LT1dOa8OU1gwUQDN6C4HJKySVCxGs2EI5fZTHEv9Pi502FmsYDBzsAO4PMja4AU2qf-SRjqlvfz4yKoGA/s400/olivia-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692422284365322914" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWpPZLUusPJn0m99ideQFy4EMVODKfDv5LotHPnjQWxZvczmNBW9RlyyEBUDWXZDMm5TxJWDYZTpdVMJ7pFaFkGvF_whYfzyuRsIdBnt0BP9DTx1v_pUNaUut8Ep_QSOMM2HPdg/s1600/olivia-3-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWpPZLUusPJn0m99ideQFy4EMVODKfDv5LotHPnjQWxZvczmNBW9RlyyEBUDWXZDMm5TxJWDYZTpdVMJ7pFaFkGvF_whYfzyuRsIdBnt0BP9DTx1v_pUNaUut8Ep_QSOMM2HPdg/s400/olivia-3-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692422278803546514" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkUolEmPFXL1CH8cP2E659Dk27tvkDK6BDuJhldYkPTntXM75WOY8Tkxx6vk_LVzuUpI_2k8A9JpSSdA_-9T68H7SGprxQ5aNjuuYHaIk_-_R-UWD-S-5nhbfVDy0qdU_q-ZNQQ/s1600/olivia-4-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-5858726639698379672011-08-05T08:23:00.001-05:002011-08-05T08:23:05.505-05:00some more from Utah<p>Such a great landscape to explore. As ever in the national parks, if you can stand walking for more than 5 minutes, there's nobody around. Trying to find the time to pull a SoFoBoMo collection together. Thinking it might be all iPhone photos this time around. After all, a PDF doesn't have to ever be destined for print.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999008984/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5999008984_6b0dac98dc_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="utah-13" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999008316/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5999008316_a907a38103.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="utah-12" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5998468197/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5998468197_a664e5bb71.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="utah-22" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5998458509/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5998458509_532cc819e3_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="balanced rock, dawn, Arches National Park" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999011780/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5999011780_b78545e026.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="utah-17" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999002120/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5999002120_bfd3e00aed.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="utah-5" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999014860/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5999014860_cb437f15c2.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="utah-21" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5999009752/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5999009752_d9a022c281.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="Arches National Park" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5998463367/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5998463367_f1a7291ba0.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="utah-16" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-14065339120650402022011-07-29T08:35:00.001-05:002011-07-29T08:35:37.308-05:00Utah<p>Spent a week driving around Utah, camping, taking pictures and having a great time. Will be posting photos over the next few weeks but here's a quick taste. Great scenery, great weather and a good chance to take one or two SoFoBoMo images.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5987134389/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5987134389_62898cfcd2_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="storm over Devil's Garden campground" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5987122101/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6013/5987122101_cdbbf207e1.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="delicate arch after sunset" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5987683894/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5987683894_d27381e004.jpg" height="334" width="500" alt="utah-2" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-11148874827947463182011-05-23T08:30:00.000-05:002011-05-23T08:31:06.113-05:00Ironman Texas 2011<p>A hot, humid day in Houston. I'm not rushing to sign up for next year. Well done to all the people who toed the line.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5750385049/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2206/5750385049_6264364458.jpg" height="750" alt="imtx11-7" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5750925058/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/5750925058_4002e1bb47.jpg" height="750" alt="imtx11-2" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5750381019/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/5750381019_2bff66b7e7.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="imtx11-1" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5750927138/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/5750927138_3d579da752.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="imtx11-6" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5750382797/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/5750382797_2664cffeb0.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="imtx11-3" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-65429475773657156942011-03-14T10:56:00.001-05:002011-03-14T11:18:08.744-05:00SXSWi<p>Went for a wander around Austin at the SXSWi photowalk. Just a few hundred photographers swarming the streets. I managed to sneak away and find some shots without photographers in them.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5524824343/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5524824343_a7663eab46_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="at the intersection of red and yellow" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5524829417/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5524829417_02f7e9d298_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="the godfather" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5525419070/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5260/5525419070_f81a83a72f_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="long night" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5525417940/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5525417940_1763ac3814_b.jpg" width="1000" alt="sixth and congress" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-21948572800209714442011-03-06T18:36:00.002-06:002011-03-06T18:37:44.084-06:00Backyard<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5504508838/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5504508838_ce50fc5beb_b.jpg" width="668" alt="_S3T9709" /></a></p>
<p>Enjoying the warmer weather, took a few snaps in the backyard.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5504507362/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5257/5504507362_0bc1e7a198.jpg" height="500" width="334" alt="_S3T9520" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5504507782/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5504507782_c31922c791.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="_S3T9538" /></a><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-67487885535116679922011-03-01T09:12:00.007-06:002011-03-14T15:09:34.982-05:00Another birthday, another trip to Death Valley<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5488587259/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5488587259_8283ae2a90_z.jpg" border="0" width="600" height="600" style="margin:5px" /></a></center>
<a href="http://gordonmcgregor.blogspot.com/2008/03/birthday-in-valley.html">The last time I was in Death Valley</a>, for my birthday, I did a lot of hiking and photography. I also watched plenty of crazy people riding around doing the AdventureCorps Spring Century and Double Century ride. I remember seeing them either struggling in a huge headwind, or flying past me - depending a lot on the direction they were going. Looked like a lot of fun.
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I happened to mention the signup for this race to a friend and was surprised to see a few months later that he was in. I quickly decided to go too and talked another friend in for the ride.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5488587499/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5488587499_5fa6c5b308_z.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="400" align="left" style="margin:5px" /></a>
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We flew in to Las Vegas and spent the day there, all the time obsessing about the weather forecast. Snow, rain and cold featured heavily! The wind in Vegas was strong and it was chilly there too. I took the chance to stock up on shoe covers and chemical heaters and we drove out across the desert, via In and Out Burger for some fuel.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5488587717/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/5488587717_75e8356759_z.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="400" align="right" style="margin:5px" /></a>
Once we got to Death Valley the wind was insane at Zabriske Point. You could lean against it and almost sit down and be held up just by the sheer force. But the ride wasn't until the next day, so we weren't too concerned about that - just the forecast cold and the storm front we could see building ever higher over Telescope Peak. Spent a bit of time assembling our bikes and getting ready then had an early night. Dawn came pretty quickly and things looked good. A little breezy, but clear skies, no apparent rain and I sent Amanda a message saying 'Weather looks good just now...'. This would come back to haunt me later!
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The ride start was at 7am. We lined up and were off at a fairly casual pace. Turning out of Furnace Creek ranch I got to quickly realize how sheltered we'd been from the wind at the start. There was a fairly brisk headwind almost immediately and as the sun came up it quickly picked up to around 20-30 mph sustained, in our face. It was cold in the morning and I found some times I was on a significant downhill, peddling hard to just keep rolling with gravity! I got to Badwater, 17 miles down the road, in about 2 hours! Luckily right around that point I got into a group with two other riders, Andy & Mark, and we started working well together. We rotated, working along the valley, but still only making a consistent 10mph average into the wind. At this point the course is entirely flat. There's no shelter. Typically, you'd expect to be trucking along about 20-25mph in a group and we were giving it everything we had to hardly move!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5488588001/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5488588001_0b2b998347_z.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="400" align="left" style="margin:5px" /></a>
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On we slogged. Eventually, we made it to the start of the only climb. 5 miles straight up to the pass and the turnaround point. We are all pretty tired by this point and the main thing keeping us going is knowing that the way back is going to be so much easier! The noise of the wind had been wearing us down, my arms were sore from fighting the bike trying to blow across the road - but we were going to fly back!
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The hill climb wasn't too eventful. The wind died down, the sun came up and it got warm, but I plodded up the climb and made it to the turnaround point in just over 5 hours. 52 miles. In 5 hours. The last century I rode took me about 5.5 hours to do the whole 100 miles! This Death Valley ride was possibly even flatter than that previous ride and here we were, only half way. Time for payback for all the work we'd put in getting here!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5489183856/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5489183856_0439b537aa_z.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="400" align="right" style="margin:5px" /></a>
The next hour was glorious. Firstly, a long, fast descent back down the hill, hitting 40+mph and getting cold. Then we were back on the flat roads, with the wind at our back - and we were flying! Working as group we were riding along easily hitting 30mph. I'm thinking I'll be back home in a couple of hours, ready for a beer. Further down the valley I could see a strange haze rising above Badwater but I thought it must just be dust getting kicked up by the wind that was blowing us so quickly back there.
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Then we got closer to it. We crested a slight rise and our pace went from 30mph back down to 12 mph in the space of a few minutes. Some crazy way the wind had switched around on us! What had been such a strong tailwind a few minutes before was right back to an even stronger 35mph sustained headwind. I couldn't believe it - we still had 30 miles or more to go and the wind was stronger than it had been all morning and right back into our faces. We struggled on back to Badwater and lunch. 17 miles to go and it had already taken more than 7 hours to ride 88 miles. 12.5 mph! Probably the slowest average speed I've ever ridden a bike.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5488588427/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5220/5488588427_ebe78e9ef4_z.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="400" align="left" style="margin:5px" /></a>
By this point I started noticing more and more bikes on the SAG wagon. The two guys I'd ridden so far with had some mechanical issues and the wind was getting even stronger and it blew apart our little pace group. I was back on my own and still had about 15 miles to cover. Then it started to rain.
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There's a point were things get so ridiculous that you just start laughing in the face of it. I rode on as the clouds built up ahead and the valley put on a great show of what amazing weather can be seen there. Clouds lit up with sunlight, towering black thunderheads, back-lit rain and dust storms blowing past. Beautiful in a primal, humbling way - particularly when you are fighting to push a bike through it, exhausted after a whole day battling the weather.
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Somehow I found enough legs to make it back to Furnace Creek Ranch. The last downhill stretch was certainly a gift! 9 hours and 41 minutes after I'd started, I got off my bike and started eating the free pizza. Sure tasted good!
<br><br>
The next morning dawned warm and sunny. No wind. A perfectly beautiful Spring day in Death Valley - great for a bike ride! Out of the 400 people that signed up for the ride, 324 actually even crossed the start line (I think partly due to the snow, rain and cold weather forecasts from before and the wind on the race morning) 124 people are listed as official finishers.
<br><br>
Such a fun day!
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5489184302/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5489184302_94e0f37bda_z.jpg" border="0" width="600" height="600" style="margin:5px" /></a></center>
<p class="blogpress_location">Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Airport%20Pkwy,San%20Jose,United%20States%4037.371550%2C-121.921262&z=10">Airport Pkwy,San Jose,United States</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-13220849877897186552011-01-09T16:42:00.002-06:002011-01-09T18:25:02.858-06:00Sahara Smith @ Flipnotics<p>Found this camera thingy lying around, unused and covered in dust. Took it out and made some pictures.
</p><p>We listened to Sahara Smith's album <a href="http://playingintrafficrecords.com/sahara-smith/">Myth of the Heart</a> all over Western Australia at the end of last year. I found out at the last minute that she was playing a secret show in Austin. Myself and about 30 other people were treated to a great 90 minutes of new songs, in a tiny back room of a coffee shop. A rare treat.
</p><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5339947307/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5339947307_a676a56126.jpg" alt="Sahara Smith @ Flipnotics" height="333" width="500" /></a> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5339943123_a96b7ab162.jpg" alt="Sahara Smith @ Flipnotics" height="333" width="500" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/5340557184/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5340557184_264fbd0df6.jpg" alt="" height="333" width="500" /></a> <img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5340557968_dbd40ce704.jpg" alt="" height="333" width="500" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-58521294457822479032010-09-07T06:16:00.001-05:002010-09-07T06:16:13.947-05:00Austin Tri 2010<p>Austin Tri is one of my favourite races to shoot. I've been feeling a bit bored of the race pictures recently, and Amanda came up with the great idea of focusing a bit more than usual on the unique stores in South Congress, that the race goes by. Many of these are Austin landmarks and locally owned. I think they give the shots a real sense of place, more than the clean and uniform backgrounds I usually try to incorporate. Fun to shoot in a place where that's actually an option. The fact that it started to rain really heavily, with the sun still coming in and out of the clouds was a real gift, to me, even if it wasn't for the competitors!</p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgregorphoto/4965425276/" title="austri10-8711 by Gordon McGregor, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/4965425276_60a68f17e4_b.jpg" width="1024" height="730" alt="austri10-8711" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965387096/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4965387096_7319fa0159.jpg" height="309" width="500" alt="austri10-8393" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965368066/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/4965368066_08765e96b5.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="austri10-8126" /></a>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965383254/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4965383254_820b9220bd.jpg" height="500" width="356" alt="austri10-8357" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965376544/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4965376544_3732a25f48.jpg" height="500" width="333" alt="austri10-8237" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965396684/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4965396684_cd98dbf9d2.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="austri10-8525" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4964813863/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4964813863_aedaa1af89.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="austri10-8640" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4965441900/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4965441900_f7f78c23cd.jpg" height="500" width="333" alt="austri10-8863" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4964870251/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/4964870251_cc714d945f.jpg" height="500" width="333" alt="austri10-9025" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-33622830027593826652010-06-13T16:51:00.001-05:002010-06-13T16:51:06.714-05:00form and function<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4697043113/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4697043113_195a2c5aa4.jpg" height="500" width="333" alt="captex2010-72" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/">A good read</a> on the distinction between definite and formless content for books. Also touches on how content should be designed for a device like the iPad. Photobooks strike me as often really just formless content - a sequence of images with no real design or layout happening. In fact, often the idea of design around the photographs is rejected as getting in the way or trying to make up for poor images. In that respect, the iPad and similar devices may be a better home for photobooks than the printed page. Potentially (eventually) better dynamic range, reproduction accuracy, colour control. If the original images are digital, then we'd also avoid the one step removed distance of trying to print the images too. Lots of half-formed thoughts swirling around in my head on this topic.</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-16746205461566791162010-05-23T16:39:00.001-05:002010-05-23T16:46:17.717-05:00Austin Icons<p style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3804716019_6bf50fdaef_b.jpg" /><br /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Slowly coming to realise that SoFoBoMo kicks off next week. Life has been running me ragged recently, but I'm starting to form some ideas. Just picked up an iPad and I think my SoFoBoMo effort this year is going to be targeting an iPad format e-book. I still need to give some thought on what that means, but that's the end goal for me this time around. I think there is the potential for this to be the realization of a lot of the things <a href="http://gordonmcgregor.blogspot.com/2009/03/durable-mutation.html">Scott McCloud was talking about</a> that I picked up on last year. An window onto an infinite canvas, rather than a series of pages. Not entirely sure how or if I plan on exploiting that but the potential is intriguing. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For a topic, I just recently passed my 10 year anniversary of moving to the US so I'm thinking of reflecting and inspecting Austin and the sights that have inspired me over the last 10 years. Something of a retrospective, introspective tour of Austin's landmarks and iconography. We'll see how that changes or survives as a concept as I start to shoot.</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-17476247981784233802010-05-18T23:00:00.002-05:002010-05-18T23:32:51.656-05:00It's not about the Beast: St Croix 70.3<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Long, very rambling - off topic - only interesting to a very small number of people, feel free to ignore, pass on by, nothing to see here. I might even start taking and posting about <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">photographs again, some time soon.</span></font> <a href="http://sofobomo.org"><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">SoFoBoMo</span></font></a> <font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">is right around the corner. Go on, make a book. You know you want to!</span></font></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4585970414_80483e038c_b.jpg" width="750" height="500" alt="st_croix-5" /><br /></span></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I've been wanting to do the St Croix Half Ironman for a long time. Probably ever since I heard about it. One of the hardest 70.3 races in the world, a beautiful island in the Caribbean, great crowd support, 1.2 mile ocean swim, really tough 56 mile bike course, hot and humid half marathon to top it off. What's not to like?</span></font></font></p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/4620017629_87cf998e29_m.jpg" height="180" width="240" alt="st_croix-4" name="4620017629_87cf998e29_m.jpg" style="float: left;" />
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I was all set to do it in 2008. Finishing Ironman Arizona in 2007 I was in the best shape of my life. I just had to cruise through to next year and I'd be ready to head out to St Croix. Then I broke my ankle playing my one annual game of squash. Except of course I didn't realise it was broken for about a year, so after many attempts at rehab; trying to run; frustration; and weight gain later, I finally had surgery and got things fixed up.</span></font></font></p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4620631174_a2830bb3a8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="st_croix-3" style="float:right;" />
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">More rehab, more frustration, traveling for months with a leg brace, the fun of going through security and getting carted around airports. In April 2009 I struggled through the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon. I was barely able to finish a 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike and 20 minute run after training for months. Quite a change from my previous tri!</span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Still, I kept building on that and finished the San Antonio Half Marathon by the end of the year. Finally started to feel like I could run again so St Croix looked to be back on. Settled in to train for it properly around January of 2010, building on the running base, trying to get back some cycling fitness. I read about <i>the Beast</i> - the 7/10ths of a mile long, 14% average grade, with a 21-27% grade kicker hill at St Croix and tried to get prepared. Realised quite quickly that there aren't any hills like that around Austin, but resigned myself to lots of repeats on Fitzhugh Road, riding out to Johnson City. I'd do repeats on the bigger hills I could find out there, feeling like I was getting in good training. Some weekends, I'd swim at Barton Creek then ride home from there, hill after hill, back out to <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">Dripping Springs, and feel like that was also good training.</span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Started swimming again some time in March, and probably didn't do enough, given this was going to be my first ocean swim, but was doing about 2x3000m workouts per week, so I wasn't too concerned. Running was going well and my ankle was holding together. Started to try and get some heat acclimation by running in the evening and doing outdoor spin wo<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">rkouts in the sun, at Pure. Had a few confidence-building solo runs, across Austin and up Mt Bonnell, in the mid April heat, and started to feel almost ready.<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/4620024815_1fc6a8785d_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="st_croix-6" style="float:right;" /></span></span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">We flew out to St Croix on the Wednesday before the race, to try and have a bit of a holiday and also to give my bike time to arrive. I'd heard that the small American Eagle planes often don't have enough space for all the bikes going to the race so it might take a few days. The bike arrived on the same flight, in one piece - one panic out of the way.</span></font></p><br />
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">We stayed at the Buccaneer hotel on St Croix. Supposed to be the best accommodation available. Had a slightly weathered and faded feel, as if its best days were behind it, but still a lovely location. The weather was hot when we arrived - 88F and humid, 80%-90% all day, every day. Over night it dropped to about 78F. Not much like Austin at all. I did my best to get used to it, driving with the windows down in the car and the AC off. Staying outside when I could. Hydrating, hydrating, hydrating.</span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Amanda & I ran the <i>Paradise 5k</i> race on the Thursday night, giving us a taste of what the heat and humidity were like to run in, even late in the evening. Not my fastest race ever. I got a chance to swim in the Christensted harbour the next morning, swimming the race course at the practice swim. The water was lovely, 80F and only a couple of feet swell. The water was so clear you could see everything around you. I got used to the waves and pounding, working out how to breathe to the opposite side, wishing I'd practiced more bilateral breathing in the pool. Nothing too dramatic.</span></font></font></p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4620643766_952a0578e2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="st_croix-8" style="float:left;" />
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Then we drove the bike course and I got to see the hills for the first time. Didn't seem too bad in a car! Even though at one point the car wheels spun out and couldn't really cope with how steep the road was. I tried to put that out of my mind.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">On the Friday night, the carbo loading par<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">ty coincides with 'Jump Up' - a town-wide street party. Many of the restaurants get involved, lots of music in the streets, generally a great time. Better than the buffet in a tent in a carpark that many races have.</span></span></span></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Got up, bright and early at 4am on race day, had some breakfast and headed off to check in. Found my rack, set up my gear and got ready for the start. I'd noticed at packet pickup and saw again that most of the people here looked like top end age groupers. Started to feel more out of place. About 400 people total started the race, haven't done a tri this small since the Chester Tri sprints in England!</span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The swim start is beautiful. All the athletes swim across the harbour to a small island and the start is from the beach there, looking back to the transition area and the rest of the Island. The sun was just coming up and the wind was still fairly calm. You could hear the national anthems drifting across the water and then the pro field was off. My wave was only a few minutes behind them.</span></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4620670426/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4620670426_a24c7ca8b3.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="st_croix" name="4620670426_a24c7ca8b3.jpg" style="float: right;" /></a> The swim was quite uneventful. I got a bit distracted waving/ smiling at one diver down below us who was filming the race, but other than that I just settled in behind someone in my wave and drafted to a very relaxed 39 minute swim. There were about 90 people in my wave, not much drama or shoving, because I started wide, on the outside of the first turn, which is only 100m from the beach. It looked a little more congested on the inside of that turn.</span></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Then, quickly onto the bike after a 3 minute T1. Chewing gum in transition was a great help with getting over the saltwater in the mouth from swimming. The first loop is a fairly easy 8 miles of sheltered false flats and one smallish hill, then you start the bigger loop around the whole of the island. The first 20 miles fly by, with some crazy twists and turns through the narrow Christensted streets to keep you focused, then out into the countryside. I averaged an easy 21mph for the first 20 miles. Then right there, at mile 20, the undulating, gorgeous coastal bike course takes a hard left turn. Signs on the road let you know that this is <i>the beast</i>. No chance to keep any momentum going, you are straight into a 14% grade climb from almost a standing start.</span></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4585986288/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4585986288_9e7da21387.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="bike course" name="4585986288_9e7da21387.jpg" style="float: left;" /></a> I'd done all my training with a 23 cog cassette as my biggest gear and switched in a 28 a couple of weeks out, to give me some extra gears, just for this climb. I'd expected to keep most of those in reserve for further up the hill, with a plan to start out 2 or 3 gears down. Straight away I'm in the 28 and trying to at least stay seated. I spin up the first 1/10th of a mile and then see 15.5% written on the road. Things start to slow down. The sun feels hotter. That breeze that had been at my back has disappeared. I'm already thinking that walking might not be such a terrible idea, but I know I'll never get back on the bike on this hill if I stop. So I keep pushing. Around 2/10ths of a mile, there's a 16% written on the road. I'm standing now, keeping things going around. 16.5% passes. Then the most depressing marker <b>- Half-Way -</b> Only half way! Still no letup, the road just keeps climbing and climbing, occasionally dropping back down to 12%, 13% but never any real relief.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The flattest part is about 4/10ths of a mile up, where it drops back down to a 10% grade. By now, that feels pretty flat and I get to catch my breath, but the next corner is the 27% grade that the car was slipping on. Somehow I make it past that, onto the final 17-18% climbs to the top. A lot of people are walking here. Several are zig-zagging back and forth across the whole road, trying to find any way to get up the hill. Thanks to the 28 gear I'm able to ride slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, straight up the road. I'm standing the whole way, trying not to swear too loudly, pushing and pulling as much as I can with my arms, hanging over the front wheel to get a bit of gravity on my side pushing up the hill. I've never worked this hard on a hill before and I'm in a 28 gear! 12 minutes and 15 seconds later I cross the line on the road at the top of the Beast. I stop at the water stop they put there. I have to ask someone to open up the top of my water bottle because I can't quite find the strength to turn the top open to fill it. But I did it!</span></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4620218529_57f3ffdaaa.jpg" width="191" height="288" alt="63148-116-013f" style="float:left;" /></span>The backside of the Beast is a long twisty downhill. A chance to recover a bit before you get into the real bike course. From here you head out to the North of the island and ride along the coast the full length of St Croix. Into a 15-20mph headwind the whole way. Without any shelter. It's just rolling hills</span></font></font></p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4585983854_be230df564.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="flattest spot on the climb" name="4585983854_be230df564.jpg" style="float: right;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">and false flats here, but that wind never goes away. Eventually you reach the end of the island and turn around to come back. Finally out of the wind! That's where the hills start again, lots of short, steep hills, only up to about 14% grades, but just relentlessly popping up in front of you. The Beast might get top billing on this course, but the 30 miles after it are what really takes the toll. I kept drinking and popping salt tablets all the way back.</span>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I'd gotten some good advice at packet pickup from a guy who'd done the race 4 times before. Every time I felt like I was starting to push hard, I backed off the effort. All day in the swim and on the bike, whenever I felt like I was trying I eased off. Got to the end of the bike in 3hrs45 and felt really good. My legs felt great - relaxed, rested. No cramps, no tiredness, probably the best I've felt at the end of a 56 mile bike in quite a while, particularly one that hilly.</span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Another quick 2 minute transition and I was out on the run. Into the heat which was st<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">arted to feel really oppressive by this point. I've read it was about 98F by then, no shade anywhere on the run course, not enough clouds in the sky, still 80% humidity.</span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/4620648664_28cb48b4b3.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="st_croix-10" name="4620648664_28cb48b4b3.jpg" style="float: left;" /> <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">I ran out of transition, my legs still felt great and ran past the people cheering, and my heart rate kept going up and up. Really quickly I realised I couldn't keep running like this, and so the long walk began. Every time I tried to run my heart rate shot up. I tried running waterstop to waterstop (every 6/10ths of a mile along the road) But the heat was really getting to me. I dumped cups of ice down my shorts (more good advice), piled ice under my hat, poured water over myself and kept on drinking and taking salt. I could run for a few minutes each time I used the ice, but it seemed to melt away all too quickly. I decided I could keep really pushing the run, and not finish, or try to manage <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">things and get, eventually, to the finish line. The best part of the entire run was when Amanda co-oped some kids on the side of the road to form a cheering section for me.</span></span></span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">That's what a 3 hour half marathon is made of, lots of walking, lots of ice, occasional running for half a mile then trying to recover again. The half marathon course is quite hilly too, roughly the same as Scenic in Austin. Beautiful, out by the coast, passing by the beach, running around a golf course and up and down some more short, steep hills. It would have been challenging if I could have run, but going so slowly things were fine. Towards the second loop clouds started to come in and every time the sun went away I was able to run. Then it'd come back out and the heat would spike again and I'd be walking along.</span></span></span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4585999618_f7a2d7c640_b.jpg" width="750" alt="finishing" /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4620832784/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4620832784_37ee850418_o.jpg" height="370" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></font></font></p>
<p><font><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Eventually I crossed the line, 7 hours and 32 minutes after I'd started. I felt fine, never quite able to run fast enough to really hurt. Bit frustrated about the run but happy the swim and bike went so well. Felt recovered after about 5 minutes under a damp towel in the shade. I think I'll be back again.</span></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Georgia" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4620651854/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4620651854_98ff1a329b.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="st_croix-12" /></a></span> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4620654480/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/4620654480_6ec4612277.jpg" height="333" width="500" alt="st_croix-13" /></a><br /></span></font></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-36731925795565335992010-05-10T22:00:00.001-05:002010-05-10T22:00:33.332-05:00rookie<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4597528780/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4597528780_19bb1e485d_b.jpg" width="750" alt="rookie-3" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4597526254/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/4597526254_8f3b0054b0.jpg" width="370" alt="rookie-2" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4596909075/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4596909075_98f85690a0.jpg" width="370" alt="rookie-1" /></a><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-74705000296337083852010-04-20T23:35:00.001-05:002010-04-20T23:35:28.791-05:00wife stalking<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4540019900/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4540019900_7b20d16be9_b.jpg" width="750" alt="amanda-18" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4539373017/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2769/4539373017_aa8607a725_m.jpg" height="160" width="240" alt="amanda-6" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4539368533/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4539368533_28ec83f051_m.jpg" height="160" width="240" alt="amanda-3" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4540008218/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4540008218_424f7a87d6_m.jpg" height="160" width="240" alt="amanda-8" /></a><br /></p>
<p>Meanwhile, Paul has a <a href="http://photomusings.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/feeling-the-sofobomo-love/">good post</a> on the current state of SoFoBoMo, where the buzz is, how you can help. I'm still cogitating on what my topic is going to be. Maybe <i>rediscovering the love affair with my camera</i> might be a good way to go.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4539366035/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4539366035_4ec7cfe927_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="amanda-1" /></a> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4539377161_92d3648cb5_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="amanda-10" /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4540013174/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4540013174_7b0d70847e_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="amanda-12" /></a> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4540007314_f292fb2615_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="amanda-7" /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4540009458/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4540009458_e0839a09ef_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="amanda-9" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4540007314/"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4539366035/"></a><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-88097822877871957952010-03-08T10:07:00.001-06:002010-03-08T10:08:15.072-06:00call me<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4416483159/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4416483159_2117631726_b.jpg" height="750" alt="iphone-2" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-30768114297749772702010-03-07T04:43:00.001-06:002010-03-07T04:43:40.228-06:00Get your cameras ready<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/2389346285/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2379/2389346285_d1c682e6b8_o.jpg" width="750" alt="1d II" /></a><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://photomusings.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/sofobomo-2010/">SoFoBoMo'10 is coming soon</a>. The fuzzy window will run from June 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010. The rules will be unchanged from previous years. More details and the new web site to come.</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-89366663004699709312010-02-23T12:33:00.001-06:002010-02-23T12:33:55.201-06:00snowpocalypse now<p>On Sunday I was enjoying the sunshine and the almost 80F degree weather. Bit different today.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4382828170/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4382828170_81d8cdfdfc_b.jpg" width="750" alt="Austin Snowpocalypse 3-24" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4382068001/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4382068001_9a49bfb238_b.jpg" width="750" alt="Austin Snowpocalypse 3-72" /></a><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-33732280235833459432010-02-05T08:27:00.001-06:002010-02-05T08:27:16.838-06:00suzanne<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4331903991/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4331903991_70c6278ff9_o.jpg" width="750" alt="suzanne-89" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4332642530/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4332642530_c6a12e6517.jpg" width="375" alt="suzanne-5" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4332642364/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4332642364_61e1823ac9.jpg" width="375" alt="suzanne-4" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-53929012842356142382010-01-22T05:30:00.001-06:002010-01-22T05:36:43.159-06:00iPhone photography<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4062921804/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/4062921804_09b6973bf5.jpg" height="500" width="375" alt="chuys" /></a><br /></p>
<p>I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of pictures I can get out of the iPhone, both the older model and the new 3GS. It takes a bit of care and thought when making the shots to get decent results and all the usual things about composition and light certainly play a part, too. You do need to play to the strengths of the camera, composing with simple elements, large in the frame and realise you are composing for such a small scene helps. This isn't the best camera in the world to shoot detailed landscapes, but if you treat it well you can get good results. Get close, simplify, simplify.</p>
<p>I use a couple of apps on the phone to process the images. There has been a lot of hype around 'best camera' but I wouldn't honestly recommend it. The filters it provides are all very heavy-handed and don't provide enough finesse to get decent results. At least I haven't been able to do anything other than over saturate or blow out details with it. Fun for about 5 minutes but not worth the money. It has turned into a facebook upload client for me (it doesn't do flickr easily). Certainly has potential but needs work to be really useful.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294542939/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4294542939_72c1bce760_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0556" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543119/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4294543119_905b387c38_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0559" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4295287244/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4295287244_e70dd30fe4_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0558" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4295287188/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4295287188_d0ced9e55d_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0557" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543207/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4294543207_18a446af33_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0560" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543259/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4294543259_357b6061d1_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0561" /></a></p>
<p>My favourite two photo processing apps on the iPhone are <a href="http://www.the-mill.com/colourapp/">Mill Colour</a> (free!) and <a href="http://artandmobile.com/tiltshift/">TiltShiftGen</a> (99c). I use Mill Colour for the initial grading of the photos, then TiltShiftGen to provide controllable blur and vignetting. That isn't really the main goal of that application (it lets you do the somewhat cheesy fake miniaturization technique that mimics the cheesy real miniaturization effect people do with tilt shift lenses - fun once.) However, it does provide very flexible blur and vignette controls and is useful if you want to give a krappy kamera feel to your iphone pictures. That's been something I've been experimenting with, with this camera, and I like the results. It is well suited to the simple, bold compositional style the camera tends to require anyway. Playing to the strengths again. I use Mill Colour first to get the general feel right, then finish with TiltShiftGen.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4295287488/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4295287488_9e098b70e6_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0565" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4295287608/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4295287608_ef532a5538_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0568" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543607/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4294543607_3a76795803_m.jpg" height="240" width="160" alt="IMG_0569" /></a><br /></p>
<p>Here's the other camera apps I have on my phone. Pano is good for doing stitched, multiple image shots. Haven't used that much. The various more detailed editors seem good but I don't find much need or use for Photoshop on my phone, other than maybe cropping. Snapture is a great camera app, providing things like touch anywhere to take, zooming, and multiple shot modes. I use that to capture all the images.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543905/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2773/4294543905_59200c0718.jpg" height="480" width="320" alt="IMG_0575" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4294543775/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4294543775_b8b1834b08.jpg" height="480" width="320" alt="IMG_0572" /></a></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-17706998246324907892010-01-22T04:40:00.000-06:002010-01-22T04:41:47.680-06:00100x100<p>Shot some swimming last weekend. Actually did a bit of swimming too! Was good to get back in the pool</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4283084490/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4283084490_17f3929e86_b.jpg" alt="100_100s-4815" /></a><br /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/52043707@N00/4282309353/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4282309353_68c9b24230.jpg" height="375" width="500" alt="100_100s-1537" /></a><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4283059888_1963e4a8cb.jpg" height="375" width="500" alt="100_100s-1555" /><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18928719.post-8867053985532114042010-01-01T10:37:00.001-06:002010-01-04T10:38:31.567-06:00the end of timeswell, the end of 2009, anyway.
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgregorphoto/4244413595/" title="ny2009 by Gordon McGregor, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4244413595_08b724a4ea_o.jpg" alt="ny2009" width="453" height="604" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0