March 31 - A Change of Seasons

March 31 - A Change of Seasons, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

It's that time of year. Bendites of all shapes and sizes line up at the tire centers in preparation for the ODOT-mandated studded tire removal.

Of course, being a proctastinator and a cheapskate, I take the long lines at the tire center as a reminder to do it myself at home. Two cars later, after juggling 16 tires and 80 lugnuts, each torqued to 75-foot-pounds, I'm ready for spring.

Used the Sigma 20 for this shot so that I could get shallow DOF and get everything from my gloved hand (bare hand in this shot) to the tire and the garage floor.

March 30 - Rule of Thirds

March 30 - Rule of Thirds, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Yes, I know....lots of weathered wood on this blog.

Caught this shed in the late afternoon sun as I was taking a licorice run from work. I liked the texture and warmth of the weathered siding, and thought I'd compose in thirds. Not so much to follow the rule of thirds, but to almost parody it.

I wanted the lock in the frame as a bit of a twist -- it would have been boring with only the lines.

I was actually hoping to catch Stranger # 3 today, but it didn't happen.

Oh, and I know I gave positive mention in my last post, but I have to again mention BlackRapid. See, I was using the strap on my trip through Hong Kong to Malaysia. On the way back from a day trip to see the giant Buddha on Ngong Ping, I took the camera off the strap. The way my photo bag was configured for the trip, the FastenR that threads into the tripod socket sticks a bit too far out, and the camera didn't fit so well in my pack. So I kept the threaded fastener on the strap.

Long story short, when I arrived in Malaysia and went to put the camera on the strap, I realized that I had lost the locknut.

A quick e-mail to Blackrapid, and today I got a replacement FastenR and some stickers. I think that's cool that even though my it was my mistake, the company ships me a free replacement and throws in goodies. I'm a sucker for good customer service.

March 28 - On The Rocks

March 28 - On The Rocks, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Not sure why I like this one, but I do.

Taken during a training for our search and rescue unit mountain rescue training. I'm loving the Blackrapid strap, especially for times like this. I can rappel down with the camera tucked behind me, take some frames, and quickly put the camera back. No fuss.

Fairly heavy processing, but I like the looks off to space along with the muted colors and compressed range.

Used the 17-40 on this to get the group.

March 26 - We're Out of Chocolate Milk

March 26 - We're Out of Chocolate Milk, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I remember what a big deal it used to be to get to the cafeteria first while there was still chocolate milk. Some days, we would line up by first name. Others, by last. Fortunately, both put me in the middle of the line.

This stack of crates by the school my little bro and sister attended. It's now my favorite place to walk the dog, since you can walk between 4 different fields. Our dog loves the "four field challenge" days.

Was running out of light, so bumped the ISO up to 400 so I could pull off a handheld shot somewhere short of wide open. (I think I was around f3?) Used the 50 since I was just out with the family for a walk and didn't want to stand out too much.

March 25 - Good Old-Fashioned Lock-Up

March 25 - Good Old-Fashioned Lock-Up, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Missed a couple days there, but now I'm back.

Another shot from a local lumberyard while I was waiting for the take-and-bake pizza for dinner. I love how they re-used big old steel wheels for their gate, and the warm colors of the various parts against the weathered plywood siding.

Used the 50mm cause I had plenty of leg-zoom capability on this one.

March 21 - Mega Pixel

March 21 - Mega Pixel, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Last night in Malaysia.

Rode the tram up to the top of Penang Hill to check out the sunset, have some dinner, watch some monkeys, and get some photos of the city at night. My colleague here brought his tripod to make this shot possible, as neither of my tripods are light and compact.

I leave with mixed feelings. This is a beautiful city in a country of tremendous natural beauty. But I miss my family and can't wait to be home. I look out over this bright and fast growing place, and my excitement about the growth and progress and prosperity here is tempered by sadness knowing that my reason for being here this week is outsourcing work that used to be done by my friends at home.

The people of Malaysia are amazing. Their hospitality is probably the finest I've experienced in my world travels. They are hard workers, and work for less, with less. At the same time, they know how to eat, and how to relax.

So Penang: with all your millions of little shining lights, great hopes for the future, and your fragrant coconut and spicy lemongrass, your mosques by your temples by your churches: Farewell, and thanks for the great memories.

IMG_3456

IMG_3456, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

We needed a splash of color around here:

This is a side door on the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion in Georgetown, Penang. Besides being my favorite color, it is a studied example of excellent Feng Shui. I have to say, the open courtyards were very inviting and had the tour guide not been shuffling us through the building, I would have camped out and enjoyed the place.

Highly recommend touring this if you are in Penang. The tour guides are informative, entertaining, and keep the group moving efficiently.

They do rent out rooms: http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com

March 19 - Gone Fishin'

March 19 - Gone Fishin', originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

A fisherman uses a net near the ferry terminal on Penang island.

I had durian fruit today - an amazing experience for both the nose and the tongue. And the nose.

May 18 - Sidelined

May 18 - Sidelined, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I liked the colors and textures in the building and flat-tired delivery truck. It doesn't show well in the photo, but the trucks around here often have the owner/company information in this really unique hand-painted font.

I keep thinking I'll take some snapshots of delivery trucks on the ride to work and photoshop the into a title page for the slideshow of my trip.

Used the 17-40 since I went for a walk outside the hotel complex and didn't want to carry too much gear. I did ask a stranger if I could take his photo for my 100 strangers project, but he gave my first no. We had a nice talk first trying to work through the language barrier, though -- so it was a good experience.

Took lots of frames so I could get one without scooters, cars, or busses racing across the photo.

March 17 - A Man and His Horse

POD0002, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Another case of crooked horizon-itis. But I love the light and the subjects, and I'm too tired to Photoshop.

March 17 - Chinese Clan Jetty Penang

March 17 - Chinese Clan Jetty Penang, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

One of my least favorite aspects of travel is when you see our homogenized corporate global culture. I really don't need 7-11, McDonalds, Starbucks, or Kentucky Fried Chicken when I'm on the other side of the globe.

But just when you wonder if the globe is becoming one color too quickly, you wander down a narrow alley and find that unique sense of place. The type of thing that exists this way in only one place in the world.

These narrow jetties were filled with the most amazing homes, and the woodwork was done in such a way that it almost feels like a neighborhood hardwood floor. Neighbors are out in their doorways, visiting, as the smells of dinner and ocean, the smells of many people and the fresh breeze all mingle into something to which a photo cannot do justice.

I felt greatly privileged to be led into this small "family" alley by a colleague here who was raised in this area and loves to share these hidden treasures. I felt a bit voyeuristic as we walked by open doors leading to small simple, impeccably kept homes.

Ah, travel!

March 15 - Penang Fishermen

March 15 - Penang Fishermen, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I think there's more going on in this look than I'll ever know. A little curious, a little amused, a little disdain for a tourist pointing a camera at him. I love the softness of the colors, the shallow depth of field.

I used the 75-300 for this, and I like it a little more after taking the filter off. Still soft, but the only way I could get this shot, or another shot I took today of a white-belly sea eagle.

I think..... I think maybe this look is the look that haunts me about being a tourist here. So far, everyone here has been more than polite, friendly, and welcoming. And maybe it's not even what the locals think of me, but my knowledge that I live a life of such incredible privilege in comparison.

When I say haunted, I do not mean I am afraid. More that I feel guilty. For what, I don't know what to say. Our lives are different because of the different worlds into which we were hatched. I know that had I met these two men rather than taken their photo from a passing boat, I'm sure we would have had a very interesting conversation in as much as we could find the words to share.

I just can't escape the fact that we go home to houses in two completely different worlds. And while we both work hard, love our families, enjoy time with friends, and rocked today in the same sea -- our lives are so different.

March 14 - Penang, Malaysia

March 14 - Penang, Malaysia, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Malaysia is incredible. I'm just beginning to see Penang, but it's a place of incredible beauty, contrast, lush green plants, motorbikes everywhere.

I like how this shot captured the new, the old, the building, the dirt, the green, and the sky.

So much to say I don't know where to begin. Give me a couple days of photos and I might start to process it all.

March 14 - Hong Kong

Undecided about what to call the photo of the day, wanting to share a couple photos, so I'm posting them all.  Had an extended layover in HK, to took the http://www.np360.com.hk/ up to a giant Buddha statue.  Honestly, I thought the cable car ride up was the best part, because we were among the first groups up, and it was a great climb up and over several mountains.  A great aerial view, a chance to stretch our legs, and get a birds-eye view of some of the islands.

March 12 - In Transit

Stranger 002 - Koa, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

This is Koa. He is from Seattle and visiting his girlfriend in Pleasanton.

He was totally cool with the idea of helping with my 100 strangers project. I continue to be amazed by the positive reponses I get! Stranger #002!

March 11 - Burning It

Burning It, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Too much to do tonight, and though I would have loved to have got my second stranger portrait, I went out and found my battery dead.

Recharged the battery this evening while running my own battery down.

With 4 minutes to go, I thought a photo of my to-do list for the night might be interesting if cheating and/or boring. This was created using the excellent FreeMind open source software project.

March 10 - A Fisherman in a Sea of Cars

Stranger 001 - Elmer, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I promised a twist. Here it is: I'm challenging myself to the 100 Strangers project on Flickr. Like I said yesterday, I was getting in a bit of a loop -- detail shots showing the beauty in everyday things, the occasional interesting scene, etc. But what I really want to improve is my portrait work.

I love the idea of connecting with people and getting more experience. But I'm also very shy. These first couple pictures won't be great masterpieces of photography, but they will be milestones of change. And I should say that they are tributes to the hope and trust of humanity, because these days it's all too easy to hide from those we don't know, to say no before the salesman has made his pitch, and to laugh off a request by some "artist" who wants to take a photo.

This is Elmer. I met him in front of Fred Meyer where he was standing at a corner with a bike and trailer, collecting cans.

Elmer is from Newport. He likes fishing, and said someone else asked to take his picture when he was fishing in January.

Some days he gets more cans, some days he gets less cans. He says there are some folks that don't like to recycle, and that's where he comes in.

Fishing and recycling. That's about as Oregonian as you can get.

This picture is #001 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100Strangers.com

March 9 - Destroyer

March 9 - Destroyer, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Another shot of interesting details, with a good message. Maybe too prominently featured in the photo?

This photo habit refuses to give up, though sometimes it means taking a mental health break at work and braving the cold and wind to walk a route I've walked for over a month with the camera.

Not that the photo opportunities are used up -- just that it's forcing me to look further and reconsider the options.

I've got an upcoming twist to my photo-of-the-day plan, something I think might just be the second major step in my photo skill development (the first being the Strobist Ninja lessons in off-camera flash and Zach Arias white seamless tutorials). But I want to first succeed at a goal in that direction before I say more.

Just have faith, fair blog-readers. You'll get more than just crate stencils shortly. If I am brave.

March 8 - Maps

March 8 - Maps, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I'm a map nerd, I'll admit it.

Some people buy shot glasses, or t-shirts. Bumper stickers or patches. But when I'm out exploring, my favorite souvenir is a map. I love how each is a little different, each their own solution to the problem of describing a place, or set of places. The London subway map is beautiful, but completely out of scale. The rental-car freebie maps, with their "how to get out of the airport" and "how to get back to the airport" but little else. Topo maps - the battery-independent way of getting yourself lost and then found again in the wilderness.

I liked the colors, the range of materials, and the skewed angles.

Shot on a tripod using the available light. White-balanced off a sheet of paper because the office walls aren't exactly white and the "natural light" tungsten bulb is like no other color in nature.

Used the 17-40 for this so I had some flexibility with the composition -- these maps are in a corner that didn't give me much freedom to move the tripod.

March 7 - Anyone Got Any Chalk?

March 7 - Anyone Got Any Chalk?, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Day trip to Eugene. I loved the faded paint, the large black square (?) and how these worked with the yellow lines in the street, the yellow curb, and the silver streetlamp pole.

I don't know what these type of photos are called, but this very much reminds me of the photo of the carts outside Albertsons. Streetscapes?

March 6 - Water Like Glass

DPP1_0002, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Had date night tonight, but went out afterward to catch a few photos. Setup the tripod for the shot below, but then played around with a couple more abstract shots. The wife suggested this angle, and while it's pretty abstract, I really like the way the sharp lines of the water play against the foggy look of the splashes.

This was a several second exposure, so on a tripod. I used the 50mm 'cause I was carrying the camera around and it was freezing cold and I didn't feel like swapping lenses and I love the 50 and....

Anyway, the shot I was trying to take follows. I should have gone for a smaller aperture to get more depth. I'm glad the "Shops..." sign is blurry, but I think too much of the frame is OOF. Kind of a neat look, and I like posting what I was trying to pull off -- even if I didn't pull it off. Plus it breaks up all the horizontal frames I've been posting lately.

Bonus Post (March 6) - Transform

If you don't know Zach Arias, you should. He's a photographer based out of ATL, and not only does he take incredible photos, but he shares his talent with developing photographers via One Light workshops and blog posts.

He posted this video, and I think it applies to all of you artists out there-- not just photographers. Watch the whole thing:


http://www.zarias.com/?p=284

March 5 - Pig in a Blanket

Pig in a Blanket, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Felt like a hunter returning home empty-handed as I walked the pooch home around 10:30 tonight. We even took the extra-long route home, but nothing really inspired me.

All is not lost, because I got to spend long-overdue extra time with the poodle. And now she's sleeping peacefully under a pile of blankets.

I'm not super excited about this shot, but I do like my doggy.

Used the 20mm so I could get close for shallow DOF

March 4 - Gallery Mount

Gallery Mount, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

They say that some of the finest art in the world is out of public view, saved away in private collections.

What they don't mention is that it's hung on the sides of refrigerators. Or that instead of acid-free paper and UV-resistant glass, this art sways in the breeze. Held up by magnets.

These are the treasures of our world.

March 3 - Built Up

DPP_0004, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Another gem from the ODOT compound near work.

I don't know what these are -- maybe stands for temporary signs.

Somehow these make me think of a church. I like the way they build upward and I love the way they fill the space in an empty way.

March 2 - Tired

March 2 - Tired, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

When the going gets tough, the tough revert to self-portraits.

Got the dishes and laundry done, and was keeping the dog company during her new late-night dinners. My hands held my head up, my knees held my arms up, and the little chair held me up. Thought it might be worth a fast setup.

Used the 17-40 on this because I don't have that much uncluttered room in the kitchen/dining area, and I certainly didn't feel like doing extra clean-up work tonight.

Only other photo skillz worth mentioning here was that I used my tripod lying on it's side (with the camera resting on a pouch) to position the camera on the ground but still maintain solid control over the composition. Thought it was a quick and clever hack.

Strobist info: 2 Vivitar 285s on Cactus triggers, RHS of background firing across vertical blinds. Both on 1/4 power.

March 1 - Get Ready to Party

March 1 - Get Ready to Party, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Sometimes I get some great shots that are just too personal to share with the broader web. So I go for the more abstract close-ups.

I love how I gave this a completely different look than the scene. I'm shooting into a corner (so it gets darker in the center) and the (bare) flash is pointed upward for strong contrast.

Strobist info: 1 Sunpak 4000AF, wide zoom, 1/16th power, on cactus trigger, shooting up from floor in front of camera.

Believe I used the Sigma 20mm on this shot.

February 28 - Chef Pa

February 28 - Chef Pa, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

So my dad is turning out to be quite the chef. My parents claim to be on a diet, but they are turning out some truly incredible recipes. Tonight was scallops, incredible appetizers with cucumber, mint, shrimp, and a bit of wasabi paste, and some delicious salad with crab and shrimp

No, really -- they are doing a great job with their diet, and the food is just incredible. I'd say it compared to an $80 restaurant meal, and you can't beat the company and extra sets of arms to hold the kid.

Photo wise, this was shot available light with the fast 50. My parents have a pretty bright kitchen, so I was able to get away with ISO 800.

Great work, Dad. Thanks for inviting us (again)!

Here's the results:

February 27 - Paint the Sky

February 27 - Paint the Sky, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

Fell asleep early, but took this yesterday (okay, the day before by the time I post this).

I see this everyday, and like the shine of the silver paint containers, and the layers of fence, snow, equipment, and sky.