I thought I could show Aya how great U.S. fireworks were as compared to Japan’s.  I had boyhood memories of huge extravaganzas of fireworks with the crowds ooohing and aaaahing as we sat on a gentle grassy slope.  I will now have to admit that tonight’s barely 20- minute fireworks display paled in scale in comparison to Japan’s 1-hour plus hanabi.  Not only that, but we were surrounded by smokers just like in Japan!  Both a mother and a father smoking on their two children, one of which was highly disabled in a complex wheelchair.  Where do I have to live to be free of such extreme ignorance?  Where?!

I cannot remember if I used the technique of covering the lens or not to get multiple fireworks explosions in a single shot.  I think I did though.  I had my D300 in bulb mode, focus at infinity (manual) and mounted on my flimsy tripod all the time loosely covering the lens with its cap.  To do this right you of course need a rock solid tripod, a cable release, and a black piece of card paper.  I had none of them.  Still, all things considered (not mention the street lamp in the lower left), I am semi-pleased with the result.

KIT USED:  Nikon D300 with Tamron xR Di II 17-50mm f/2.8 lens and flimsy Velbon tripod

I saw some great sunsets while living in Tokyo, but I always remembered there is nothing quite like a Florida sunset.  I give Aya full credit for me being able to make this image.  She said the sky must be beautiful this late evening, and she was correct.  

We both grabbed our cameras and leashed Kiki (more on who this is soon . . . ) and headed out onto our back patio area.  I started with a different composition than the one one pictured above, before finally settling on this one.  I had been wanting to try an HDR sunset as well.  I am very pleased with how it turned out.  

KIT USED:  Nikon D300 with Tamron XR Di II 17-50mm f/2.8 lens mounted on a Velbon tripod

POST:  HDR made in Photomatix Pro, then edited in Aperture 2.0 and Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3 (the polarization filter is amazing)

If you are looking for a good little action movie that also happens to be a vehicle for Liam Neeson, that is free of gimmicks and CG and a convoluted or non-existent plot, then TAKEN is a good tonic to cure one of all the former ills.  My motivation to see this movie solely came from Verizon advertising it constantly as a new on-demand choice.  The trailer was effective and I’ve always like Liam.  

The plot is thankfully simple…over-protective former CIA operative dad’s daughter gets kidnapped in Paris, said dad sets out to retrieve said daughter with all necessary force and malice.  Their is a bit of mystery to how far the ties of the bad guys reach, but other than that it’s good no-nonsense action and revenge without any super ridiculous stunts.  In fact, the action scenes were the most realistic I’ve seen since THE BOURNE IDENTITY’s.

The message I got out of this movie?  If your father is a CIA badass, you should probably listen to what he says about taking precautions for your own safety.  Otherwise you might get kidnapped…quickly.

• Written at:  Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA
• Where exactly:  my desk
• Written with:  MacBook
• When:  Thursday June 4, 2009 @ 1:02am

The Thin Memories

Ever do these words echo in my mind…

“Teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old.”
I hear them all the time,
But mine own angst lingers,
Keeping me from getting old.

Purity of emotion peeks in adolescence.
Angers and wrongs incurred in such times
Are not yielded lightly.

Decades later, adult decisions are deferred, by design.
Ghosts wonder.
Physical pursuit ends, astral begins.

Selection of thin memories,
Engage the time meant to be bored and old.

Results are restless and stilted.

Memories that hurt are too valuable to give up.