Cloudy, with a Chance of Fruitcakes

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Buying & selling stuff on Craigslist and eBay sort of scares me, in a thrilling / adventurous way.   You meet all of these people that you maybe normally wouldn't.  I'll be honest, many of them are complete fruitcakes. In fact, I've often wondered that given the cross-section of humanity I've experienced buying and selling old stuff on Craigslist, what sort of relationships can be built from those people-seeking-people ads.   Just know, I'm not besmirching genuine mental-illness, so keep that dramatic hatemail to yourself.   

I should also pre-face this that I apparently possess a force-of-attraction for crazy.  in Example:  A friend and I were having lunch in Gulf Shores a couple years back.   This guy comes up to him (we are seated) -

"That is a NICE jacket.   Really nice.  (Long, lingering pause.....Like..a full minute...  then points to his truck) Can I have it? My dog is cold."

Jared looks at me, completely baffled.  My response. "Yeah, sorry man. It's me.   Happens to be all of the time.  I attract them, apparently."

So, in honor of the parade of Fruitcakes that I've met buying and selling stuff on Craigslist, I thought I'd compile a list of my favorite nuttiness for your reading pleasure.

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"My uncle was a co-founder of Kodak.  He invented the darkroom enlarger and has patents for most parts of camera internal mechanisms. "
    <- I asked his uncle's name..... He didn't know. Witness protection, perhaps? ;)

"I used to work in a secret government facility, experimenting with alternative energy during the Carter Administration.   We had devices that could generate 50kw of electricity per hour just by processing the water in the air.   I can't show you the plans because I'm under a federal gag order and they are watching me."

"I was in Nagasaki when the bomb hit, taking pictures. I used a Canon AE-1 Program."  
     <-  He was less than 50 years old in 2013.  The AE-1 program came out in 1981.   Math, mkay. :|

"Sorry, I can't pay you more than $400, KEH underpaid me for my gear."
     <- was wearing a $15k gold watch, $300 shoes, driving a beamer, wearing a freshly pressed San Destin shirt, bragging plenty about his uber-succesful career

"When I grew up, my dad was friends with the Shah of Iran, he had a place in Summerdale, we went over to his house all of the time."

"I'm a journalist and I found Pablo Escobar in Columbia in 199x.  He's after me now."

"I actually created Pac-man.  The Japanese stole it from me b/c my daddy flew in the Dolittle raids during WW2."

"Stephen Nodine was actually framed, it is a Neo-Nazi conspiracy because he had a falling-out with the leadership in Elberta."

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At least these fellow travelers in the adventure of life aren't boring.    :)

Finding Color: Blue

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Did you know that Blue is overwhelmingly chosen as the favorite color of Americans and Europeans alike?  (It is good to know that we can agree on something.)
Though, blue was a relative latecomer in the ancient world.   Reds, Blacks, browns, pinks were used in cave markings and garments long before blue was.    Ostensibly it had something to do with the difficulty of making blue dyes given scarcity of the color year round in plants that those regions that we consider the cradles of civilization.

Later, Romans regarded blue as the color of working class, often the color of their clothing while the nobles were adorned in white, black, red or violet. 

Some Celts and Germans would dye their faces blue for battle to instill fear in the Romans and tinted their hair blue as they got old, perhaps the origins of the 'Blue hair'd old lady' colloquialism we have today.
In the Renaissance, blue was upgraded in social status as it was used in many master works.    In the east,  and blue / white porcelain was all the craze. :)

The color of our planet, used in uniforms, master works of painters and works of art throughout history, maybe 'being blue' isn't so bad, after all.   

Not bad for a color with such a short wavelength and sketchy start in human history.

 

 

Little Tiger Hibiscus, Sunnin' Its Junk

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These were one of the 18 replacement hibiscus I replanted this year, they seem to be pleased with the rain we've received over the last few days.
If you stop and think about it.   Flowers really are quite scandalous.   They wait for broad daylight and sit out in the open, sunning their hoo-haw's for all to see.   I mean, if people did that, it would be all over the news.   (Or at least facebook)

Yeah, I promise I'm not high, was just thinking about that while I was working on the manual focus on on the stamens for clarity.    

Manual focus on the A7R is pretty well done.  All of the NEXs have had this clever feature that they will zoom in and manual-focus assist as you touch the focus ring when in Manual Focus Mode.  

That is still present but with the added convenience of an on-demand manual focus button.  It doesn't sound like much but the NEX-5 / 6 /7 did have kludgy menus and this is a nice move to avoid having to do multiple clicks in the (considerably improved) menu to get your manual focus on.

I used the SEL18200 on the Sony A7R for this.  The SEL18200 is  a broad range APS-C 'walk-around' lens and isn't necessarily known for its sharpness but I think it does well.   When using it with the A7R full frame, the camera detects the presence of an APS-C lens and goes into APS-C mode which essentially crops the image down to 15 megapixel.   I disabled that mode and did the crop myself.

So, I have all of this amazing old Minolta Gear from when I was doing Film work right out of high school.    A Minolta AF 100mm f2.8 Macro, a Minolta AF 85mm 1.4 Prime, an 80-200mm API f/2.8 Minolta.   

Hopefully, this week the LA-EA4 E Mount will finally arrive so I can put them to proper use again.   That will be a really good test of if this is a clear image or not. :)

 

 

Mind == Blown

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Mind (equal) Blown

Well, I finally did it. I made the move to Full Frame Mirrorless.

..and I'm never going back.

It isn't like shutter mirrors have been a particular inconvenience to me. I've never had one fail, even after doubling the expected shutter actuations on my D7000 and handily exceeding it on my D90 before that. My D800 has been a trooper. The file sizes don't bother me, the images looked great, the workflow was fine.

I just wanted something.. else.. (and I found it)

As a user of the Sony NEX 3, NEX 5, NEX -7, whose APS-C sensors have done very well, I've been seriously impressed with what Sony Alpha (ahem, Minolta) has been doing there. The A77 was a nice feeling camera and I liked it.

The NEX-7 solved a lot of problems for me. It was a super portable, awesome camera with interchangeable lenses. Light enough to attach to a telescope, versatile enough to throw in the car with very good performance in most cases. (Except, that I still am annoyed by hot shoes and I wanted it to be full frame)

When the A7r was announced I tried to not take in the media, knowing it would interest me and I'd probably buy it. I held off, until recently.

The catalyst is, I found myself at a crossroads. I liked the 36 megapixel images of the D800 but found the size and bulk of it and the 14-24mm to be somewhat limiting, in that I very often didn't just grab it as I went out the door... I also wanted a D4. A camera for landscapes and stuff (the D800) and a camera for people, recitals, (the D4) - something that could take photos in a dark room with usable results.

The upcoming A7S solves it for me. I can't really share how I know but I will just say this..

The A7s will be a game changer.

So, this week I finally resigned that I'm done with Nikon. Not that I don't like them or that I'm unhappy with them, this camera has been like my third child. It is just that it makes sense (for me) to replace the D800 with the A7R and go with the A7S when it comes out as my D4 alt. One set of glass, boom.

So, I've been playing with the A7R for a bit and I'll just one line it and say:

I'm impressed!

If you want to find a review on a Sony A7R or Sony A7S, I'm sure can Google it up and find one. Just don't have time to commit to writing one for the A7R (plus there are millions out there) but I may write one for the A7S when it comes.

Sure, I don't think anyone will stop me at Disney, recognizing my gigantic Nikon and complimenting me on it (or hating me for it) and I'm sure people will be off-put by it's lack of professional-looking-ness.

To that I say, most respectfully, pffft.

.. In case I haven't talked you out of the world of mirror-flippy cameras, here is mine, for sale on eBay:

www.ebay.com/itm/181425356979?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&a...

www.ebay.com/itm/181425368309?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&a...

www.ebay.com/itm/181425369026?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&a...

and here's the craigslist ad:

mobile.craigslist.org/pho/4491024961.html

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It is a sad day, in a way but new toys and tools are always fun!

So, this shot was taken with the SEL18200 on the A7R, in FF mode so it had plenty of barreling that I then cropped out.   It was shot RAW, indoors at 400 ISO, manual focus.    I used a handheld flashlight to bring some light in but couldn't achieve much faster shutter with anything on hand / didn't feel up to bringing out the Bees (and I was actually washing dishes at the time, this is my burger - grill plate under the faucet in my kitchen sink :) 

Arcade Collecting: About 3 years In

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I found us in the rare occasion of not having those wreck-it-ralph out of order signs in play, so.. I snapped a few pictures while all of the machines were operational.
It was about 3 years ago that I endeavored on this project to build an arcadegame room. The house had this unfinished space beneath an addition that was sizable enough to accommodate some machines but typically damp enough (and with low ceilings) as to not justify a formal space. 

A mini split solved the dampness issue, there will be no raising of the ceiling, so the machines wheelin' and dealin' began. 

At first, I found this guy, in Florida: http://www.2waynesworld.com/
He delivered and helped me to get started. Since I ordered a couple machines, he discounted them pretty significantly and we started strong with:

Arcade Gameroom V1:
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Cocktail Table Multicade 60-n-1
Mortal Kombat 1
309-in-1 Horizontal Multicade
Dartboard
Air Hockey
Foosball
Projector (projecting onto a sheet) for TV and Console Games

Quickly, I learned to fix the machines, the Mortal Kombat 1 - specifically had plenty of problems, as old machines typically do and I learned the dude had plenty of mark up in his prices.

The Air Hockey took up too much room (and was kinda cheesily-made), the 309 n 1 didn't really resonate with the games I played as a kid and had a poor control panel layout and the foosball table didn't get played as much as I'd hoped.

Mortal Kombat 1, the 309, the Air hockey and Foosball all found new homes via Craigslist (for a hobby-supporting-profit even!) and I added some games, all via Craigslist and by way of repair.

Arcade Gameroom v2:
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Cocktail Table Multicade 60-n-1
Mortal Kombat 4
Virtua Fighter 2
Offroad Thunder
Star Wars Trilogy Arcade
Mario Kart GP
Silent Scope 
Soul Calibur
Dartboard

A 46" LED w/ Touch Overlay
.. I also housed a friend's Tron at this time.

During this iteration, I started to feel compelled to change up collecting philosophy, somewhat. Instead of looking for original machines, I started the embrace the idea of MultiCades a bit more. The sense that, having a few Multicades that can play virtually any game you can think of, would be a better use of the space and would better target the room for 'playability' over 'collectibility'. After all, the whole point here was to have a place the big and little kids would both enjoy that would possibly tap those memories of those poolside arcades you find on vacation.

As we enter into Year 3, I've added some pinball machines to the mix, which required us to sacrifice some games but I'm seeing has a broader appeal to adults and teens. (Although, the 9-year-old crowd can't seem to commit to playing 3 full rounds of pinball, they do seem to enjoy it.)

So, in V3 of the Gameroom, as it sits today:

Arcade Gameroom v3
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Cocktail Table MultiCade 60-n-1
Mortal Kombat 4
3149 in 1 MultiCade
A Nintendo/Sega Genesis Hyperspin MultiCade
Star Wars Trilogy Arcade
House of the Dead 1
Mario Kart GP
1992 Data East Star Wars Pinball
1992 Williams Star Trek The Next Generation Pinball
1997 Sega Star Wars Trilogy Pinball
2008 Stern Indiana Jones Pinball
A Claw Machine
Dartboard
A 46" LED w/ Touch Overlay

Which didn't leave me much room, so two addl' machines in storage (and for sale): Silent Scope EX Deluxe & Offroad Thunder

In our current iteration, I'm liking the balance between Video Game Arcades and Pinballs. 

If I could leave some advice to someone else just starting to collect, my advice would be to get a Pinball early, the right pin can have a great replay-ability and are universally appreciated. Also, don't be afraid to buy some broken machines and fix them yourself. It is reasonably simple work, isn't all that dangerous (well, the monitor can zap you but that's about it) and you will save a small fortune.

 

 

Planting Stuff == Work!

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Well, my eyes were bigger than my muscles.   I was only able to get about 14 of these in the ground (and two pallets of sod, half a pallet of mulch) before I ran out of time and muscle this weekend, to celebrate Mother's Day!

Much respect to the folks out there that do landscaping for a living!  

(and lets try for a minute to be optimistic that these won't be slaughtered in a freeze like the last ones) :/

Everything is Awesome

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I had a chance over the weekend to finally catch 'The Lego Movie' with my kids.    It was a fun movie, my kids really enjoyed it.  Lots of creatively block-styled animation and tongue in cheek humor of the characters poking fun at their personas.  

Though, I was struck that I'm a little like the Villain in the movie.   A dad-figure who wants everything in it's place, and thus commits plans to use Krazy Glue to permanently affix legos in their built form.    I've totally threatened to do that.      I guess, the completely built Lego X-Wing is way more interesting to me than the pile of legos said x-wing can quickly be distilled down to.. :)

But, I digress.

So, in the movie there were these not-so-subtle jabs at social conformity.   Everyone watches the same pointless TV Sitcom, everyone is known for "one thing" in the way we often build simplified stereotypes of those around us. Everyone listened to the same song, ostensibly called, "Everything is awesome!!" that spread the virtues of teamwork and conformity.   Sadly, that two-verse song is stuck in my head now.

Though, at least when sitting on a mostly abandoned beach watching the sun fall below the horizon in blazing spectacles of color and sounds of gulls laughing and waves lapping:  Everything is pretty awesome.  

Attack of the Drones

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I Gave a quick talk on Camera drones with my good friends over at the Eastern Shore Camera Club today.  Material from the talk (Slide Deck PDF & Intro Video) are here!

Thanks for checking it out!


The sample video of some our epic Gulf Coast locations was based on a 3 hour project window.   Filming, editing in no more than 3 hours.  Plenty of opportunity for better editing but I thought it was a decent enough example to show the capabilities of the camera platforms we talked about.

 

 

I've been experimenting with various remotely controller aerial photography methods for several years.  In 2011, I mounted an HD Hero Go Pro on my Stryker F-27q pusher-prop fixed-wing.   The result might make you sea-sick:

 

That's not to say that fixed-wing flight cannot yield compelling visuals.  I found these to be very inspiring:

and

Early 2013, I tried the multi-rotor route with the Parrot AR Drone 2.0.  Took it to the marina where we kept our boat with hopes of amazing aerial visuals.    It didn't work out, either:

The Parrot AR Drone is cool and all but controlling something from an iPad that is simulating the control sticks of an R/C controller is a bit fail.   The on-board camera of the Parrot AR Drone isn't as good as the Go Pro (Jellyvision is bad) and the lack of camera stabilization (a gimbal) is the nail in the coffin to this approach (for me, anyway).

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About a year ago, I found this video and was blown away: 

Santa Monica Airlines from robert mcintosh on Vimeo.

 

Followed a few months by this one:

Talk about awesome stuff, right?

Finally... a year ago, Chase Jarvis posted this post on his blog about overcoming barriers in your photography:

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2013/04/stop-creating-false-barriers-between-you-the-photos-you-want-to-take-aka-going-to-the-end-of-the-earth-to-get-the-shot/

A great write-up and awe-inspiring video, which is here:

Interested yet?  Space!  Cmon.  Space is like bacon.   Put space in front of anything and it is instantly improved. (thinks of space bacon...)

errmm.. umm.. what happened.. sorry you lost me for a second.

But seriously, interested in FPV flight and camera drones and just getting started?

Here are some links to get you started and of course, you are always welcome to contact me directly at bill.dodd@graffitilogic.com to discuss! 

Informative Sites
http://www.diydrones.com
http://phantompilots.com
http://www.helifreak.com
http://www.rcgroups.com

Manufacturer Links
http://www.dji.com
http://www.sky-hero.com
http://team-blacksheep.com
http://immersionrc.com

Drone & FPV Retailers
http://www.bhphotovideo.com
http://www.adorama.com
http://www.dslrpros.com
http://www.helidirect.com
http://www.profotouav.com
http://www.getfpv.com
http://www.readymaderc.com

 

FPV Manufacturers
http://www.fatshark.com
http://team-blacksheep.com
http://immersionrc.com
http://cinemizer.zeiss.com
http://www.lilliput.com
http://www.foxtechfpv.com

LRS Manufacturers

http://dragonlinkrc.com
http://www.tslrs.com
http://flytron.com
http://www.hobbyking.com

Slide Deck

(video slides won't play but there is a video links slide towards the end of the deck)

I'm not sure how much sense the slide decks will make sense on their own but they include really informative links and inspiring videos from awesome FPV camera operators that I found inspiring.