Category: photos

About various photos I’ve taken. Unlike other entries, these are dated with the date I took the photo (or thereabouts).

GDGT launch

gdgt is a gadget-based social network that hosted a launch party today since I had an invite, I thought I’d stop by. Alas, the line was long!

Outside the GDGT launch

Outside the GDGT launch
DNA Lounge, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
1/60sec @ f/5 iso200, 50mm

View On Black

The line was so long, I didn’t go in. It was between a Costco hotdog and this, the hotdog won. (I’m sure it was a great event, and the line moved fast.) In any case, I should have known better—I guess the reason I rarely see my friends in the gadget industry is…these things are popular!

One of these days, maybe I’ll avail myself to the multiple opportunities to cut in line. No matter, I’ve seen the inside of DNA lounge before.

(My user profile on gdgt.)

Continue reading about the postprocessing of this image after the jump

Posted on by tychay 1

Symmetrical compositions

After this article, Kara convinced me to sign up for the Worldwide Photo Walk this year. I ended up going to the Marin one even though there were five in SF.

The big challenge of an outdoor nature photo walk—besides watching others take better photos than you—is getting your gear down to something you can live with. Especially if you haven’t been photographing in forever. Even if you see something you like, it means compromises to get there. I noticed that the lighting was too flat, but the sky had nice texture, and from the town, I could see Rat Rock Island standing off the promontory.

I really had to shoot that:

Rat Rock Island

Rat Rock Island
China Camp State Park, Marin, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G, handheld
8 exposures 1/400sec @ f/10 +/-2/3 stop, iso200, 14mm

View Large on Black

Continue reading about About composition after the jump

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2009-06-25 Out comes the Leica

I haven’t shot the Leica in a long, long while. The main reason is both the M-mount lenses I have were busted and I have been too lazy to get them repaired. But actually, the larger reason is that I haven’t been shooting much of anything in over a year.

The introduction of the Olympus E-P1 reminds me that I have to get some of my money’s worth out of my cameras. Good dSLR bodies depreciate at the rate of 25% per year compounded. Photography with $5000 bodies gets expensive quickly!

So I purchased the 40mm sister of the lens I mentioned before and started to snap away—the fact that I can adapt this as an 80mm f/1.4 portrait lens on a E-P1 figured partially into that decision 🙂

I’ve been trying to take advantage of my recent move to SoMa to set up some way to share interesting discussions with friends. Since I didn’t want to kill my friends with my risotto just yet, that meant scheduling a dinner at a nearby restaurant suggested by an old friend but new neighbor Jonathan.

2009-0205 7

COCO500 Dinner Menu
COCO500, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON Classic 40mm f1.4 S.C., B+W 486 IR Cut
1/20sec, iso640, 40mm (53mm)

Just outside the restaurant, flackette met two friends Ryan and Stephanie. While they were catching up, I decided to practice trying to manually focus on their new pug, Frank, who resembles his namesake—delta a cut of CTO.

Frank

Frank
COCO500, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON Classic 40mm f1.4 S.C., B+W 486 IR Cut
1/30sec, iso640, 40mm (53mm)

Continue reading about about dinner after the jump

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Looking behind

I’ve always said that the best camera is the one you have on you, and I’ve mentioned that that cameraphones have a lot of versatility.

I haven’t been shooting seriously in over a year and my cameras are screaming for me to take this stuff seriously again.

Even my iPhone camera.

With my car finally back from the shop, my rear mirror finally repaired, me in the passenger side, and the latest burger from McDonald’s in my lap, I felt a lot of regret I couldn’t snap this with my Leica or Panasonic LX1. But then I remembered I was charging my iPhone…

Ferry Building

Ferry Building
Embarcadero, Waterfront, San Francisco, California

Apple iPhone 3G
f/2.8, 3.85mm (37mm)

View Large On Black

Continue reading about iPhone as a serious photographic tool after the jump

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Mild dementia

Reading this article on the new Voigtländer 50mm f1.1 Nokton, I was surprised to find out that the English translation of the Japanese word bokeh is “mild dementia.”

Definitely a Backstroke of the West moment there.

Check out the “mild dementia” on these two:

Mark Trammel

Mark Trammel
Citizen Spaces, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON 35mm F1.2 Aspherical
1/16 sec, iso 320, 35mm (47mm)

Creamy smooth mild dementia

Scolding Veronica

Scolding Veronica
Citizen Spaces, South of Market, San Francisco, California

Leica M8, Cosina-Voigtländer NOKTON 35mm F1.2 Aspherical
1/16 sec, iso 320, 35mm (47mm)

The mild dementia created by people in the background is busy but still manageable.

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Voting in America

California is the swingiest of swing states. In recent memory, two Republican presidents were governors here. Now it is bluer than the balls of all those fratboys voting for Sarah Palin. Even though the Presidential election in this state is a foreground conclusion, you still get a lot of mail

Voting mailers

Election mailers
North Beach, San Francisco, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S, Canon 500D diopter
1/80sec @ f/2.8, iso 360, 28mm (28mm)

Especially egregious is the phone book the city of SF gave me. Not that the California ballot measures were that thin either. Luckily, I had a stomach flu this morning, so I had time to read and research this stuff.

Election packet

Election Packet
North Beach, San Francisco, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S, Canon 500D diopter
1/80sec @ f/2.8, iso 320, 32mm (32mm)

There was no line at my polling place. It was next to Trader Joe’s.

My polling place

My polling place
North Beach, San Francisco, California

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1
1/200sec @ f/4, iso 80, 6.3mm (28mm)

Yes, I voted for “That One.”

Yes, I’m voting for “That One.”

Yes, I’m voting for “That One.”
North Beach, San Francisco, California

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1
1/30sec @ f/2.8, iso 80, 6.3mm (28mm)

After I scanned in my ballots, I grabbed an “I Voted!” sticker. At the street corner an old lady noticed me holding it and thanked me.

I’ve never been more proud to be living in America.

Posted on by tychay 5

Faking long exposure

I hate feeling depressed…

Feathered death

Feathered Death
Baker Beach, San Francisco, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G
1/60sec @ f/18, iso200, 14mm (14mm)

When people ask what sort of subject I like to shoot, I say, “nature,” but it’s been over a year since I’ve done any outdoor photography. I don’t know if my one dimensionality is an escape from or the cause of my mild malaise. In fact, I can’t think of a single good reason why I should feel this way since my life has become monotonically better, including living in a city that I love.

So I decided to wake up at an unreasonable hour, drive somewhere and try to convince myself why my depression is irrational.

Sunday hits San Francisco

Sunday hits San Francisco
Treasure Island, San Francisco, California

Nikon D3, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G
2 exposures, 10 multi-exposures, 1/100sec @ f/18, iso200, 14mm (14mm)

One nice thing about living in San Francisco is Treasure Island doesn’t cost you a Bay Bridge toll. I’ve seen a thousand shots of the city from here, but very few taken at dawn.

[Ultrawide lenses, and multiple-exposures after the jump.]Continue reading →

Posted on by tychay 13