Hey fotofoo readers, I know how much you enjoy the semi annual posts Brandon and I make to this blog. I'm making a hard focused effort try and blog a little something at least every few days. However I've setup WordPress on my own domain MikeWiacek.com and am moving my blog over there. There is already some new content for you to absorb. Come on over and update your RSS links!
http://www.mikewiacek.com/blog/
Cheers
..mike
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Greasemonkey Flickr Keyboard Shortcuts
Hey all, I really got fed up with not being able to use the left and right arrow keys to navigate flickr photostreams, sets, and pools. I wrote a quick greasemonkey script to try and add this functionality to flickr. It seems to work quite well for me, so feel free to give it a shot.
Since photos on flickr can be in a number of different contexts simultaneously (i.e. streams, sets, or pools), the script will try and determine how you are currently viewing the photo, and use the left and right cursor keys to navigate within that context.
Please leave me any feedback or suggestions!
Greasemonkey Flickr Navigator
..mike
Since photos on flickr can be in a number of different contexts simultaneously (i.e. streams, sets, or pools), the script will try and determine how you are currently viewing the photo, and use the left and right cursor keys to navigate within that context.
Please leave me any feedback or suggestions!
Greasemonkey Flickr Navigator
..mike
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Nine Days Across the Outback: Day Nine
I was ready for my trip to end. The lack of internet access gnawed at me. I kept running into Australians who asked for my opinion on McCain's VP pick on various US states ("Sure, I don't think she's qualified. But don't you think she'll win Florida?"). I missed not being dusty. Most of all, I missed being something other than melting in that damned 4WD.
Speaking of scorching, we did the smart thing on our tour that day, and visited Litchfield Park, and hit some waterfalls. Cool, soothing waterfalls, a gentle hike through semi-tropical woods, and then a plunge pool. Encouraged, I took off my boots, and walked down the stairs to the pool...
and nearly blistered my feet on scorching sandstone.
Really, I was tired of the Outback by that point. Even the 6 meter tall giant termite mounds barely lifted my spirits, and when we rolled back into Darwin, I booked another room at the Holiday Inn on my phone as I sat on the steps. My flight out was that night, but I had just enough time to catch one last sunset, and I headed back to Mindil beach to catch the very last dregs of it.
"Sunset at Mindil Beach"
This shot was a classic 'sunset and silhouette' shot. They're simple as pie to take. Get the subject in between you and the sun, then meter on the sky. Adjust your exposure to get the colors to pop to taste.
As the sun slipped below the waves, I walked down into the water, and felt the Pacific on my toes.
Hours later, I was on a plane back to Sydney, and then on to home.
Speaking of scorching, we did the smart thing on our tour that day, and visited Litchfield Park, and hit some waterfalls. Cool, soothing waterfalls, a gentle hike through semi-tropical woods, and then a plunge pool. Encouraged, I took off my boots, and walked down the stairs to the pool...
and nearly blistered my feet on scorching sandstone.
Really, I was tired of the Outback by that point. Even the 6 meter tall giant termite mounds barely lifted my spirits, and when we rolled back into Darwin, I booked another room at the Holiday Inn on my phone as I sat on the steps. My flight out was that night, but I had just enough time to catch one last sunset, and I headed back to Mindil beach to catch the very last dregs of it.
"Sunset at Mindil Beach"This shot was a classic 'sunset and silhouette' shot. They're simple as pie to take. Get the subject in between you and the sun, then meter on the sky. Adjust your exposure to get the colors to pop to taste.
As the sun slipped below the waves, I walked down into the water, and felt the Pacific on my toes.
Hours later, I was on a plane back to Sydney, and then on to home.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Nine Days Across the Outback: Day Eight
Miseration. Heat. The 4WD vehicle we were taking through these tropical parks was a unique vehicle. Unique, because it lacked any insulation between the engine and the floorboard above it. And this vehicle, once it started going off-road, got very, very hot. Outside was hot, inside was hot, it was a mess.
I was ecstatic to find out that our destinations for the day were two giant waterfalls. Unfortunately, both of these waterfalls involved hikes. The first one was a fine hike, but I had to turn back when the trail required edging along a ledge you had to edge along facing the face of the rock. I might have made it -- but definitely not with the camera, lenses, and tripod. (Good news: The falls weren't running this time of year). The second set of falls involved clambering over boulders. Lots of boulders -- very high.
While the rest of the group decided to go climbing, I sat on one of the boulders, read my Kindle, and photographed a few lizards. Very relaxing, and when I discovered that the members of my group who had dived into the pool at the base of the falls were completely dry (from the heat) by the time they got back, I felt like the reading and lizards plan was a hit.
After looking at some really far away wild horses at Anbang Billabong (Outback version of an oasis/crocodile breeding ground), we went to our camp, which ended up having modern amenities like a saloon, and real bathrooms. I went to check-in desk (which was really the saloon), and asked what I considered to be the million dollar question. "Excuse me", I said, "But along with the places to camp, do you have .. rooms?". The bartendress smiled and said, "Yes, but it only has air-con, a bed, and a light". I nearly fainted from euphoria. "How much?" She didn't catch the note of desperation in my voice.
"Forty dollars."
"Sold!"
I woke up icy cold from the A.C. in the morning, and it was the best forty dollars I spent in years.
"She Didn't Start the Fire"
Speaking of heat, I snapped today's photo of a girl from our tour group by the campfire. When I took the shot, I was really only interested in the yellows & oranges of the fire coloring the scene.
What I got was a sort of glow, that seemed to capture the rays of light from the fire like a kind of orange fog. Which was a neat trick, considering it was so clear.
So, what caused this?
Hate to say it, but I'm not quite sure why I got this look (luck on my side, at last!). I have a few theories, but maybe someone reading this can explain the glow. Here are my theories so far:
For the interested, here are the rest of my photos from Day 8:
Twin Falls
Jim-Jim Falls
Sunset and Wild Horses at Anbang Billabong
Camping
I was ecstatic to find out that our destinations for the day were two giant waterfalls. Unfortunately, both of these waterfalls involved hikes. The first one was a fine hike, but I had to turn back when the trail required edging along a ledge you had to edge along facing the face of the rock. I might have made it -- but definitely not with the camera, lenses, and tripod. (Good news: The falls weren't running this time of year). The second set of falls involved clambering over boulders. Lots of boulders -- very high.
While the rest of the group decided to go climbing, I sat on one of the boulders, read my Kindle, and photographed a few lizards. Very relaxing, and when I discovered that the members of my group who had dived into the pool at the base of the falls were completely dry (from the heat) by the time they got back, I felt like the reading and lizards plan was a hit.
After looking at some really far away wild horses at Anbang Billabong (Outback version of an oasis/crocodile breeding ground), we went to our camp, which ended up having modern amenities like a saloon, and real bathrooms. I went to check-in desk (which was really the saloon), and asked what I considered to be the million dollar question. "Excuse me", I said, "But along with the places to camp, do you have .. rooms?". The bartendress smiled and said, "Yes, but it only has air-con, a bed, and a light". I nearly fainted from euphoria. "How much?" She didn't catch the note of desperation in my voice.
"Forty dollars."
"Sold!"
I woke up icy cold from the A.C. in the morning, and it was the best forty dollars I spent in years.
"She Didn't Start the Fire"Speaking of heat, I snapped today's photo of a girl from our tour group by the campfire. When I took the shot, I was really only interested in the yellows & oranges of the fire coloring the scene.
What I got was a sort of glow, that seemed to capture the rays of light from the fire like a kind of orange fog. Which was a neat trick, considering it was so clear.
So, what caused this?
Hate to say it, but I'm not quite sure why I got this look (luck on my side, at last!). I have a few theories, but maybe someone reading this can explain the glow. Here are my theories so far:
- I shot this at f/2.5. Some sort of aberration from being so close to wide open?
- Off axis light bouncing around inside my lens, providing some sort of ghosting?
- "Banding", or sensor artifacts? (I did shoot this at ISO 6400)
For the interested, here are the rest of my photos from Day 8:
Twin Falls
Jim-Jim Falls
Sunset and Wild Horses at Anbang Billabong
Camping
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Nine Days Across the Outback: Day Seven
Our seventh day saw us taking off from Darwin and heading into the wilds again -- on a cruise to see wildlife (read: Crocodiles) down Mary River, and then into Kakadu National Park, where we first went to an Aboriginal site at Burrungui Rock.
Culturally and geographically, Burrungui was more interesting. Viscerally, Mary River was more interesting because I witnessed firsthand the *snac* sound that a saltwater crocodile makes when it closes its jaws. The crocodiles, however, are not what today's photo is about.
"You Talkin' To Me?"
Along with the crocodiles, the Mary River was lousy with various Outback birds. Most of them were entirely new to me, so I was fascinated by them. Unfortunately, I ran into the problem one always does when photographing birds:
If I were going birding in the Outback, I would probably have needed to bring a big lens, which be something that would have added about six pounds to my lens collection. And which would likely not be handhold-able. And would have added about $1400-$10K to my lens budget, depending on how wedded I am to my new career in selling photos to the Audobon society. ;)
I made do with my 70-300mm f/4-5.6. Every one of them had to be cropped, and image quality was fairly poor. But I loved the look on this bird's face, and for one brief moment I thought, "This isn't just shooting birds. It's bird portraits.", and then it clicked for me.
Culturally and geographically, Burrungui was more interesting. Viscerally, Mary River was more interesting because I witnessed firsthand the *snac* sound that a saltwater crocodile makes when it closes its jaws. The crocodiles, however, are not what today's photo is about.
"You Talkin' To Me?"- They move pretty fast
- The good light for them (like most things) is not broad daylight
- Most of them are pretty afraid of people
- Did I mention they were pretty small?
If I were going birding in the Outback, I would probably have needed to bring a big lens, which be something that would have added about six pounds to my lens collection. And which would likely not be handhold-able. And would have added about $1400-$10K to my lens budget, depending on how wedded I am to my new career in selling photos to the Audobon society. ;)
I made do with my 70-300mm f/4-5.6. Every one of them had to be cropped, and image quality was fairly poor. But I loved the look on this bird's face, and for one brief moment I thought, "This isn't just shooting birds. It's bird portraits.", and then it clicked for me.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Nine Days Across the Outback: Day Six
Darwin is a city of the tropics, located on the northern edge of Australia. The energy reminded me just a bit of Miami, but smaller and even more multicultural. The evening of my sixth day in Australia, I found myself dumped off in front of the Holiday Inn. I'd spent the last hour trying to find a hotel room in the city, which were showing up as completely full. Rather than staying at a hostel (my friend Tim & I), we stayed at the Holiday Inn.
After all that time on the road, I can assure you that Holiday Inn is the best Holiday Inn in the entire world.
That afternoon seemed like the most exhausting of my trip -- a long day at Katherine Gorges and then more time on the road -- felt like I'd been trampled by one of those outback camels we kept seeing everywhere. And as I collapsed on my hotel bed, I was almost ready to sleep the entire night...
but there was a photo opportunity, and I couldn't bring myself to miss it.
Darwin has a street market on a place called Mindil Beach. Hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people show up on the beach to watch sunset, then they hit the market to buy food at the market, listen to some amazing music (I witnessed a trance/didgeridoo mashup myself), or just wander around and experience it.
After slurping down some oysters and miscellaneous meat skewers, I ditched my traveling companions and just lost myself in the market, alone with my 135mm lens.
"The Man from Maningrida"
After all that time on the road, I can assure you that Holiday Inn is the best Holiday Inn in the entire world.
That afternoon seemed like the most exhausting of my trip -- a long day at Katherine Gorges and then more time on the road -- felt like I'd been trampled by one of those outback camels we kept seeing everywhere. And as I collapsed on my hotel bed, I was almost ready to sleep the entire night...
but there was a photo opportunity, and I couldn't bring myself to miss it.
Darwin has a street market on a place called Mindil Beach. Hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people show up on the beach to watch sunset, then they hit the market to buy food at the market, listen to some amazing music (I witnessed a trance/didgeridoo mashup myself), or just wander around and experience it.
After slurping down some oysters and miscellaneous meat skewers, I ditched my traveling companions and just lost myself in the market, alone with my 135mm lens.
"The Man from Maningrida"Finally! After six days of shooting primarily landscapes, an opportunity to shoot people was like mana from heaven. I stopped being tired, and started being excited. The sun had already set, but there was still just enough light that I could eke out some very nice shots.
The shot for today was an aboriginal artist, who I found playing his didgeridoo next to a display of his art. It was tricky -- this shot metered outside of 'stable' for this focal length (about 1/60 s) for the iso which I found was looking good in this light (4000). So, I was walking around in manual mode, forcing it to 1/125s, and trying to make do with the aperture at /4, /3.2, or /2.8.
I love my 135mm f/2 -- almost certainly my favorite lens. It's very sharp, but more importantly, it has a 'look' that makes it special. Only the 85mm seems to have such a similar feel, and even technically sharper or superior lenses do not have 'the look'. But it's not a perfect lens. At f/2, it's just a smidge less sharp. Aberrations (particularly chromatic aberration) can be noticeable. And on an FX sensor, the depth of field at f/2 is .. thin. Try < style="font-style: italic;">total depth of field. The distance in front of the subject is one inch. At ten feet!
This can be tough if you're shooting a person, where you focus on an eye, and hope you really got the focal plane flat, and not at some angle. And that's what I was trying at first with this shot, but got a little frustrated. So, I thought, "What about just accepting that it's going to be off kilter, and exacerbate this?" And that's what I did, after I went for a diagonal composition. Worked for me, and one of my favorite portraits I've taken in challenging conditions.
Here are there of my photos from day 6:
Camp at Katherine Gorge
Katherine Gorge
Last Leg of the Trip to Darwin
Mindil Beach Market
The shot for today was an aboriginal artist, who I found playing his didgeridoo next to a display of his art. It was tricky -- this shot metered outside of 'stable' for this focal length (about 1/60 s) for the iso which I found was looking good in this light (4000). So, I was walking around in manual mode, forcing it to 1/125s, and trying to make do with the aperture at /4, /3.2, or /2.8.
I love my 135mm f/2 -- almost certainly my favorite lens. It's very sharp, but more importantly, it has a 'look' that makes it special. Only the 85mm seems to have such a similar feel, and even technically sharper or superior lenses do not have 'the look'. But it's not a perfect lens. At f/2, it's just a smidge less sharp. Aberrations (particularly chromatic aberration) can be noticeable. And on an FX sensor, the depth of field at f/2 is .. thin. Try < style="font-style: italic;">total depth of field. The distance in front of the subject is one inch. At ten feet!
This can be tough if you're shooting a person, where you focus on an eye, and hope you really got the focal plane flat, and not at some angle. And that's what I was trying at first with this shot, but got a little frustrated. So, I thought, "What about just accepting that it's going to be off kilter, and exacerbate this?" And that's what I did, after I went for a diagonal composition. Worked for me, and one of my favorite portraits I've taken in challenging conditions.
Here are there of my photos from day 6:
Camp at Katherine Gorge
Katherine Gorge
Last Leg of the Trip to Darwin
Mindil Beach Market
Friday, November 14, 2008
Nine Days Across the Outback: Day Five
Pubs. Termite mounds. More pubs, this time with crocodiles on display. More termite mounds. Our destination for the day was a camp at Katherine Gorge, a national park, but between us and it were all these pubs.
The mother of all these pubs -- the biggest, most touristy, and (apparently) the one with the best chips was in a place called Daly Waters. We stopped there, cooked lunch for ourselves, and then...
Our guide announced we go bowling.
I thought, maybe, we would be headed to the only bowling alley in the Outback. Nope! We started bowling on the streets of Daly Waters. Well, most of our group did -- I got out the camera and started taking some.. sports photography?
"Bowling for Daly Waters"
I tried a number of shots of people bowling, but it was pretty challenging conditions -- midday sun bright overhead, and my fundamental lack of interested in anything to do with bowling.[1]
When I saw this shot though, I pounced. Shooting from behind the bowler seemed to be a slightly novel angle, and the use of sepia was (more) accommodating to the harsh light. What makes the shot for me, though, is the composition. I love the symmetry about the diagonal line, and the 'mass' of the clusters of people (or person) on each side seem to be roughly equivalent. It works for me, but of course these things are subjective -- but hopefully it works for you.
You can find photos of my fifth day in the Outback here, here, here, and here.
[1] I took bowling as a physical education class in high school. I used up all my passion for the sport then.
The mother of all these pubs -- the biggest, most touristy, and (apparently) the one with the best chips was in a place called Daly Waters. We stopped there, cooked lunch for ourselves, and then...
Our guide announced we go bowling.
I thought, maybe, we would be headed to the only bowling alley in the Outback. Nope! We started bowling on the streets of Daly Waters. Well, most of our group did -- I got out the camera and started taking some.. sports photography?
"Bowling for Daly Waters"I tried a number of shots of people bowling, but it was pretty challenging conditions -- midday sun bright overhead, and my fundamental lack of interested in anything to do with bowling.[1]
When I saw this shot though, I pounced. Shooting from behind the bowler seemed to be a slightly novel angle, and the use of sepia was (more) accommodating to the harsh light. What makes the shot for me, though, is the composition. I love the symmetry about the diagonal line, and the 'mass' of the clusters of people (or person) on each side seem to be roughly equivalent. It works for me, but of course these things are subjective -- but hopefully it works for you.
You can find photos of my fifth day in the Outback here, here, here, and here.
[1] I took bowling as a physical education class in high school. I used up all my passion for the sport then.
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