Planes.. on the wall.. Planes.. on the ceiling..

One of my remaining hobbies.. is to fly R/C aircraft.  I've built some pretty elaborate models, flown them, crashed them, rebuilt them....  Rinse, repeat.     A few years ago, however, I discovered the joy of impact-foam.

There are these very highly capable planes made of impact-resistant-styrofoam that come nearly completely ready to fly and for a fraction of the cost of the planes I used to fly.    What is most enjoyable about this route is that a person can spend the time flying - not building. 

As a result, I'm a pretty good R/C pilot.  Helis & planes, this "new" generation of moderately cheap R/C models allows a person the luxury to focus on flying skills instead of gluing skills.   

Given this hobby, I've always wanted a proper space to tinker and display aircraft that I've learned to fly.   I imagine this small 1 - car enclosed garage with some planes dangling from the celing or hanging from the walls.   I have no such proper location at this time but.. one day!

This is probably why I like the Naval Aviation Museum so much.   If I can find wonder in 2 or 3 floam flyers hanging from a shed ceiling, imagine the kid-wide-eyedness of seeing this place with their hundreds of actual aircraft on display :)

State of..Our.. Affairs

Anybody want to buy a small house with a big yard?   http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/19280-Hughen-St_Robertsdale_AL_36567_M74582-95619

I've been thinking about my dad lately.. Election season, maybe..

Dad was the kind of man who voted down party lines.  The thing is, it was always the opposite party of whoever was mutually agreed to currently control the power in this country.  He voted for President Bush (43) in his first term and voted against him in the second term.  He voted for President Obama but quickly turned to hate him, as he hated every sitting president.

I think dad did what an increasing number of Americans do.   He transposed any dissatisfaction in his current state of affairs onto the sitting Government.  "I am sick all of the time and poor, therefor the Government is bad."

|Don't get me wrong, I have my own opinons on the screwed up nature of Healthcare, Wellfare Programs, Economy and a host of Social issues...  

But I don't vote down party lines. 

Maybe the reason I was thinking of Dad wasn't the incessant barrage of robo-calls we've received this week but perhaps it was the decision to sell my house, pictured here. 

I can hear Dad's voice in my head, powered by an amalgamation of knowledge collected from Talk Radio, Both Cable News Networks, editorials and Sound Off he would formulate the opinion at this moment, that I am indeed insane for trying to sell my house at the bottom of the market.

He'd always have a fun and colorful way of expressing to me the lack of wisdom in my decisions.  Something like... "You would have to be a god-$@%d fool to try to sell your house in this market.."  

I never shied away from those chats..  Whether or not he was correct in his judgement, I always valued the input and enjoyed the colorful delivery.

I could also hear him say, "You are blankity - blanking crazy for posting photos of your house, with an address, online." 

Dad, if someone wants to come try to steal my 4 year old TV with weird colors (and are willing to risk life to do so..) .. I could always use the target practice.  ;)

I guess.. maybe I inherited some of his colorful delivery...  

good!

It's a Small World..

It truly is a small world.

My little family has long since outgrown the small house we bought when I was 18.

As we work to fix that house up and enter this dismal housing market, we have been pondering the potential of a move.  The adventurer in me would love to move…  elsewhere…   over seas, to some other country.    No time of year reminds me of the allure of being an expatriate like the circus of election season.  I digress..

l’m certain those distant shores will never been called home.  Remaining family and friends that are dear as family provide adequate anchor.   Besides, there are certainly worse places in which to call hone.

Speaking of it being a small world.    I moved here, around  ’92, from the small town of Borden, Indiana.   I attended elementary and middle school at the school some of you may have seen on the  news recently, the tornado ravished town of Henryville, Indiana.

My memories of Indiana have faded over the years.   I make it back infrequently enough to be counted as a bad brother, cousin, nephew.   You know how it is.  Life gets in the way.   It is always “that next project at work..”    or “that next field trip…” and when we do finally take a vacation, there often seem to be more alluring places to visit than the Ohio Valley.

Still, seeing my old home town on the news this week has provoked some poignant thoughts.  With thoughts turned to the loss of life and utter destruction, my heart reaches out to the people affected by this tragedy.  

Moments like these remind us that what happens in one part of our world, affects us at home.   We are, after all, neighbors.   

Lytro Embargo, Lifted

Since some time in December, I've been participating in Lytro's Professional Shooter Program.  During this time, I've been fortunate enough to carry a Lytro Light Field Camera with me, at all times.  My programmer obligations have kept me busy in February but I wanted to take some time to share with you my early experiences with the Lytro Light Field Camera.

The Layman's idea behind the light field camera is that the Lytro not only captures light in the manner of a typical digital sensor but also collects direction, intensity and other information.   The Lytro camera very cleverly combines this information into the concept of a Living image --- an image that allows you to interact with it at a later time.

While the technology will, at some point support 3D imaging through parallax recombination and lord-only-knows whatever awesome capabilities, the current iteration of features are more geared to "snap, now - focus later" implementations.

Here is an example image, taken with a Lytro pre-release camera @ Barrancas Nat'l Cemetary

Here is an example image, taken with the Lytro at Orange Beach R/C Hobbies & Powersports

 

This technology is going to be the bomb..

Food for thought..

One day, Light Field Technology will be incorporated for video.  High end DSLRs... even smartphones... No more shutter lag and with the right sensor, no more blur. 

To the point.. 

Make no mistake.  Light field technology, will indeed remake the digital imaging landscape.   The offering, now available from Lytro.com is certainly an impressive freshman effort.   The camera is well built with a very nice style.  The battery lasts forever.   The controls are clever.  The software is well done, solid and easily understood.   The screen quality leaves a bit to be desired.  The image resolution isn't massive and low-light performance is somewhat limited.  These few limitations are understandable, however -- at this price point.

If you are an early adopter and photography enthusiast, give these cameras a serious look.   They mark signs of things to come! The full gallery of my initial shots can be seen on Lytro's site, here:

https://pictures.lytro.com/graffitivisuals/stories/1760

Shadow Fingers

Dockside

The Impressionist Astronaut

And.. Here's a picture of an Impressionist Astronaut

Just Chill

I was looking through some shots.. I'd released some from this walk once before and somehow missed this one.   I liked the DOF provided by the beach chairs in the distance.   Have a great week, friends!

The Shadow Bridge

Ya know.. to get the whole thing in a shot.. you gotta walk a bit!

Looking Ahead

We are well within the first month of 2012. Do you have big plans?

It seems we all start the year with resolutions and -- I don't know about you -- but I rarely achieve mine. 
Not that I'm not driven, mind you-- I try; but things just don't always work out.

I have a feeling, however, that 2012 is going to be a great year for my little family unit. I'm working on a few projects, web apps, startups, iPhone and Android apps. Planning on getting out more with the camera, riding the bike more.. Hoping to postpone any major expensive vacations and focus on getting the house right. Might sell it and move!

Not really buying into the end of the world, stuff. But that's just me.

What about you, for 2012? Any major plans?

The Sun Peeks Through

Been a little too busy with work to write or post yesterday.   Just wanted to say Happy Saturday, Everyone!

The Shadow World

I kept snapping photos of this fisherman in the trucker hat.   For some reason, he reminded me of my grandpa.

Then, I happened to look to the horizon and see the folks on the other side of the rock ledge.  I thought it would be neat, to instead - focus on them.    Given what was happening with the light, I am surprised and proud to say that the cameras autofocus actually pulled this feat off, lol.

Time and Resources spent gathering the photos you see here..

Am I the only one that finds blacking out your website to protest free speech to be a little backwards?   I'd rather be heard in protest and go silent in one.  Just me.. so .. whatever..  Enough of that.  Good job guys.. no way the politicians will push that through in an election year, now..

anyway..

I'm working on a photo book.  If it sells not one copy, that's cool.  But, before this year is out I'll have some of my photos put in book form, even if I only publish 10 copies myself to give as Christmas gifts. :)

I don't think my stuff is "ALL THAT" and it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  Simply a bucket-list item.   

One of my other resolutions has been to be a better friend.  In that spirit: I was catching up with this sys-admin buddy of mine that lives in the Louisville Area and he makes this indictment to me:

"I see all the stuff you post online.  You used to be one of the strongest software minds I've ever met.  A machine.   It seems as if you are wasting your time with this photography thing."

(he's not a Flickr, G+ guy.. yet. and yes I'm still busting my ass as a developer though I've never been as good as claimed)

I told him that he smelled bad and shouldn't still live at home with mom @ 40.  We said our graces, marked our calendars to insult one another in a few weeks and ended the call. (Skype)

I respect his delivery method for trying to inform me that I suck at photography.   Exaggerated flattery and then BAMM -- the gut punch.

That's how our relationship is though.  Brutal honesty and rudeness. 

Now, his opinion of my photography skill, I don't even care about.  We all have our opinions and that didn't phase me at all.  

The indictment of "wasting my time" however.. did get me thinking.

I'm not worried at all about wasting my time but I was curious.. to see just how many "photo outings" sourced a year's worth of posts.  It is an interesting question b/c as I look at a significant investment in another camera -- and having a perfectly epic Sony A77 in-hand.  I tend to mentally itemize the cost of the camera over the number of times it gets touched.

Here's what I found.   

I milk the crap out of a relatively small number of actual outings.  hehe.   

Extreme Honesty Hour, Begin.

32 Outings in 2011.

2 outings playing hooky from work (personal salary days, HR -- cool it) 

2 outings surrounding funerals/planning

1 vacation

2 weekend sailing trips

2 lighthouse - blue angel practices

1 local festival

1 daytrip to Battleship park

1 after-work tour of Ft. Morgan

1 Naval Aviation Museum Trip

1 Family-Beach Outing

1 Dance Recital Portrait Session

3 Family-Friend Portrait Sessions

1 "long way home" ferry ride from an errand

1 Charity St. Jude Walk

1 Sea Turtle Release

4 Christmas Outings

4 After Work Sunsets

1 Before Work Sunrise

1 After-Christmas Shopping Beach-Marina Walk

1 Lunch on Wolf Bay

My 2011 Photos are divided into two catalogs..

13,014 "Family Photos and Portraits catalog"

17,650 "Everything else catalog"

  -30,664 Total

    avg of 958.25 shots per outing

    divided by 1.5 if half of those were bracketed by 3

     = average of 638.83 unique shots in an outing

Year End 2011 Financial Recap (Photography Activities)

Number of Canvases Sold in 2011: 2

Number of Canvases Donated in 2011: 12

Canvas Print Costs: $1372

Hardware Investment: $2200

 Revenues from Portrait Sessions: $0

(did I mention, it was for friends?)

 Revenues from Canvas Sales: $124.00 

(did I mention, friends bought them?)

 

Estimated 2012 Financial Recap (Photography Activities)

Estimated price of Nikon D800 and 1 "Do - Everything" 28-300 Lens: $5200 (- $1800 Sold Nikon) = $3400.00

$105.25 per outing

Number of Canvases Sold So Far: 0

Number of Canvases Printed So Far: 6 (Located at the Wharf, Bravo Taco)

Number of Metal Prints Printed So Far: 5 (Located in a UPS Truck ATM)

 Print Costs: $790.00

Estimated Cost for Photo Book Per Copy: $24

Expected Retail Print of Photo Book: $MerryChristmas

I post all of this to say.. that if you look at your passions as a business, a waste of resources.  It seems insane.   Cut your losses and walk away, right?

No way, man.  The things I've seen in those few outings, the people I've met.

Wouldn't trade it for anything.

You can't put a price on what you love to do.   So don't.

Something Different

I shot this around Wolf Bay in Orange Beach.   Bad camera handling, I didn't pay attention that day that the metering on my Nikon was acting wonky.   lots and lots of noise.   Still, this pier looks sort of old and classical, I thought I'd do the antique-paper route, which is very different than my usual. ;)

Sticks & Clouds (w/ Video)

I'm still not sure I'm thrilled with the result of this one but there you have it. :)

I did record the processing session, however:

Straight Out of the Camera.. Or Processed... ?

Original:

Processed:

I must confess, when I found the source image for this in my library, I thought. "Huh. I took that?"   I really liked the clarity of the original at the top.. My usual modus operandi is that if I like the original image, I'll like the processed, HDR-y one better.   So the result of that is here.  We loose some clarity by bringing those colors and highlights in.   Loose some sharpness by de-noising to account for the above..

It takes me about 30 minutes to do an image like this.  Sometimes a lot more..  Rarely a lot less.  Know your audience..  Time well spent?

   

Which do you gravitate to?  (Assuming you don't absolutely despise both of them!) hehe

Aside from this example -- do you find yourself to be more of a photography purist, straight-out-the-camera person or a "get it in post" person?   Obviously, I like post processed images.   It reflects my world view, in that see things.. differently than most.     Look, you won't hurt my feelings and I'm certainly not trying to start a HDR vs nonHDR debate.  Internet debates are stupid. :)  

There is no right or wrong in matters of what you like.  I'm just curious about you -- your taste, your typical modus operandi..

On The Rocks..

I'm torn on something and would love your feedback.

Frequency of Posts..

Conventional internet social-wisdom says that consistant, constant posts lead to a good following. If you care about that sort of thing.

I find myself editing images a lot. I sit in front of three computers pretty much all day and edit photos whenever they are busy uploading, compiling, refactoring and whatever else.  Conference calls.  Oh - yeah. Talk to me about amazing corporate synergy and I'll rigorously edit some photos to keep myself sane.

This coupled with the fact that I take so damned many photos leaves me with a lot of material to post.

I tend to post more frequently than I think is wise and it seems posting too frequently would commoditize your art or take away form the impact, somehow. It also reduces the amount of time you spend consuming the work of others..

Don't post frequently enough.. no one ever follows you and sees the work.

So, which do you think is better?

Miles for President!

Hi there.  My Name is Miles and I'd like to introduce myself and announce that I am running for President of the United States.  If you'll indulge me, I'll take this time to run through my platform.  Together, we can reshape America for a brighter future.

Obviously, I'm Pro-Life.

I come from a modest family.   Growing up in a middle-class household with loving parents who have instilled upon me virtues of faith, free thought and social responsibility.  My dad is a Software Engineer and my mother, a school librarian aide.    Mom was a great home maker.   Dad worked a lot but worked from home so he could give us appropriate attention.

You could say, I'm a heart-land bible-belt candidate from working class origins.

I am strong on defense both at home and abroad.  

If elected, I'll push for a mechanized standing army of Autobots, led by an engaging and wise battlefield leader named Optimus Prime.  Michael Bay will assume the role of Secretary of Defense.  We will install a grid of U.S. based radiation detectors in order to protect our cities from nuclear terrorism.

We will stop funding NASA but will reprovision appropriate engineering talent and resources to a new branch of Military, known as Starfleet.  The United States will no longer provide funding for the United Nations.  The current US based UN Headquarters will house a new, aspirational organization to be called The United Federation of Planets.

I am bullish on transportation.

All road construction projects will be immediately terminated.   Existing interstates will be minimally maintained but phased out by the end of my term.   The FAA will be abolished, replaced by "Federal All Things That Fly Association" FATTFA.   FATTFA all oversee mandatory standardization of flying vehicles and site-to-site energy-matter conversion technologies to be phased into the national transportation infrastructure by the end of my first term.

Political Reform

During my first term, we will send the House of Representatives and Senate home for good.  Both buildings will be used instead as a nationally-funded daycare for Virginia-Area families.  Similarly we will do the same with State Legislature and Governance.   

The representative Democracy implemented by our forefathers will be replaced with a more modern, actual-democracy.  

Each Citizen will be issued secure, tablet-like devices in which to vote on Bills.  These devices will be manufactured by Fisher Price, Apple, Playskool and Samsung.  

Bills can be drafted by any citizen and submitted for vote with minimal sponsorship of 10 other citizens.  A Bill becomes law whenever an actual majority passes the proposal by vote.  We vote quarterly.

Terms will no longer by limited or guaranteed.  The skeleton government's officials can be replaced at any time, given similar voting procedures.  Including my office.

If a state wishes to secede from the Union, they may do so.

Each citizen will be required to pass a minimum intelligence test to be granted citizenship.  Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis.  The borders will be open but toll-based.  As will trade.

The Marines and SEALS will immediately abduct the leaders of Toyota and Honda, placing them in charge of GM and Ford.

The IRS will be abolished, as will all personal and corporate income tax.  The U.S. Treasury, U.S. Customs & Federal Reserve will be combined into a single department, the U.S. Department of Monetary Policy.  It will be headed up by Apple's board of directors and Warren Buffett until such time the American people vote in new leadership.

Under the new Tax Code, the U.S. will become very desirable for businesses. Manufacturers all over the globe will clammer for the privilege to be stationed here.     There will be three sales tax rates.   A discounted U.S. Citizen sales tax, an elevated non-citizen sales tax and a highly-elevated foreign-entity sales tax.   

Once the country becomes profitable, as I'm sure these men can guarantee - US Citizens will be paid a nominal, reverse-tax from the Government.

The education system will be reformed.   School board members will be dismissed and replaced with parents in accordance with the voting policies above.   The Little Einsteins will be put over the Department of Education.

Nano-Brain-Control Technologies will be developed.   All inmates, currently convicted of capital offenses will be given such implants.   They will replace U.S. military stationed abroad.  Those soldiers will control the actions of inmate-drones via an MMO-type interface. This will provide a stop-gap measure as the Iron-man suits and Transformers are developed because capital crime will no longer be tolerated in our nation.

Disney Imagineers will build for our nation, a few floating, manufacturing centers away from the mainland.   All remaining inmates will be sent to provide a labor force for these manufacturing centers during the course of their sentences.

Cigarettes will be outlawed until such time as non-cancer inducing formulas can be developed.  Marijuana will be legalized so that those people will finally shut up.

Angry Birds will be granted national subsidies so that all levels will be free.

Finally, we will enact F.D.R's proposed 2nd Bill of Rights.

I believe together, we can achieve real change in America.  :)

Oh wait.  I'm only two and a half -- never mind - maybe later.

Beneath the GPlus Waters..

Within Google Plus, various Ecosystems have developed.    Technology Ecosystems, "I'm using-this-instead-of-The-Face-Space" Ecosystems, Celebrities and their Followers, etc..

In this post, I'm mostly referring to the Photography Ecosystem within Google Plus.

At the top of the Google Plus food chain, you have people, I will call them "emerging industry leaders."   These, are photographers, artists, bloggers who have earned large follower counts through hard work, innovation & constant contact within the community.     They all seem to know each other, which is kinda weird but whatever.  All are really super-accessible and most are more than happy to commune with others on ideas, techniques.

"Giving all my secrets away"… as the song goes..

Some of those folks have made for themselves sustainable businesses while others maybe not so much.   Most of these folks, in my experience, exhibit gentle-artist temperaments.   They are most-all outwardly very positive and not easily swayed to go negative.  They make up a VERY small percentage of the G+ photography populace but are regarded so highly that their opinions are often regarded as photography gospel, despite their own humble attempts to cool those impressions.

In the next level of the G+ food chain, I see as "new media personalities."  These are people that, perhaps, host shows or podcasts or even have blogs.    Some are opinionated blow-hards that look good on camera but know little of relevance while others are gentle reflections of the upper tier.  Still, others are genuine photo enthusiasts who have made it big through app sales or brand management and do contribute positively to the ecosystem but maybe lack the follower count or innovative-sharing of the top group.   

These people tend to attach themselves to the top group for publicity reasons.   That's annoying but understandable.  Sometimes doing so, they contribute to the living conversation, other times the content reads more like a commercial.

I like to follow some of these people..   I'd say, in a world full of made up percentages, probably 85% of them are "positive" posters.

There is a small, "middle-class" area of photographers who have 10,000-50,000 circlers.  These people often post, frequently-if-not-annoyingly so.   Many do daily themes, not to drive their own creativity but in the hopes of exposure.    Some, stalk the upper two tiers through comments in hopes of driving traffic back to their own digital warez.   Some are just mirrors of the upper two that fate never granted a large audience.

Some of these folks are positive but many more post negative stuff.  Long-editorial rants, and crap-starting comments on the upper tiers that aim to bring those people to their ..proverbial..  level.

Then, there is kind of .. everyone else.    In an economy weighed by views, we'd be viewed as the "poverty class."
Just like the growing poverty class in America, a great cross-section of ideals is represented here.   Some are hard-working, frequent posters of interesting content that just .. haven't been discovered yet.   

Some of these folks spend more time stalking the upper tiers in hopes that the photos they took two years ago will be discovered, eventually leading to a Gungan parade in their hometown where they will one day be presented with the glowing-orb-of-awesomeness, a tribute to their ascension into the higher eschelons of GooglePlusDom.

A small percentage of the visitor-impoverished are, themselves, gentle-artists, content to keep posting and sharing, learning and growing.   Hopeful to one day "arrive" but are nevertheless content in their station.  They genuinely enjoy what you post and engage you in real conversations.   These people, rock - by the way.

Some … are a little more like Welfare recipients.   Trolling comments, spreading negativity and leading conversations to arguments, sharing to critique.   

    -- I worry about this group's influence.   

It seems, lately.. like G+ has become a little more angsty, editorial and frustrated.

I'd really like to see it, instead… retain the "photo share" experience of interested, like-minded artists admiring one another's work, and not bitching about this and that piece of gear or technology trend or overuse of certain technique.

To the "upper classes".  Thank you for what you teach and for staying true to your art.   It is, after all, why most of us follow you.

Memorials

 I went to see the crypt where my dad's remained are interred, for the first time since the marker had been set - today.    I've always been struck by National Cemeteries, even before my own  - more personal losses.   

If you've never set foot on one, I'd recommend it.   This won't be an uplifting outing - mind you - but it will still inspire awe and appreciation.