Photowalking

On Sunday, I took my new Nikon S51 camera out for a run to see what it can do. I decided on the National Air & Space Museum because ... well ... I haven't been there for about several years now. I tested as many features and settings as possible from macro zoom, panoramic shots, white balance, ISO, battery life, ease of handle, shutter speed, shots in a museum with poor lighting, outside on a cloudy day, evening shots, objects in motion ... in short, EVERYTHING. I even got the chance to use the video camera function. You can check out my photos here.

The verdict? Overall, a really great "point-and-shoot" camera; absolutely no fussing about the controls or settings. Most of the shots were done automatically. At first it was awkward to handle the camera; it's the smallest thing I've ever handled, but after some negotiating it was no problem at all. I was very impressed with the anti-vibration technology which made shooting extremely easy. Check out the video below because I know I was bumped by a kid and it never registered on the camera. The evening shots were impressive though there was a distinct bluish-hue even though it was quite dark. I'm wondering if that's due to the ISO setting or the lens itself or whatever it is that captures the colors of the image. Not a big problem. But the one annoyance is the battery life. I took over 100 shots and believe me I could've went for more considering how this camera made photography so easy. But after relatively average use, my battery conked out a little before 2.5 hours. That's not enough time considering I wanted to do some evening/night shots and I have a 2 gig memory card. 100 photos is a mere dent so I'll definitely need to get an extra battery. Other than that, it's a great camera; very flexible, easy-to-use, and extremely compact which is a relief from my old Sony DSLR and my now ancient Nikon EM SLR from my childhood. I am definitely loving it!

On a side note, as I was shooting the Lunar Lander, I overheard what sounded like a Filipino docent leading a tour group. I turned to confirm my suspicions and there he was. An elderly Pinoy comparing NASA and the European Space Agency. For one, I don't see that many minorities leading a tour group, but what really caught my eyes and ears was that he was hilarious!!! I decided to check out the video mode on my camera and record a part of his talk. I just used the lowest resolution because I was unsure of the capacity and impact of video mode on the battery life. But I wish I could've recorded more because he really did add flair to the tour.

Vacation Highlights (Cont)

I'm just finishing up my previous post on some remaining vacation highlights that I now remember. Some of them I had conveniently forgotten for obvious reasons. =P

• Lunch at Wow Bao (Hot Asian Buns) in Chicago.
• Took a morning walk outside the hotel for the day's first snowfall.

• Slipped and fell forward down a small hill of fresh snow in the park. No pictures provided.
  
• My hotel played host to a Christian youth conference. Hundreds of teenagers and their bibles. Can you say, "Be afraid. Be very afraid"?
• Still amazed at Chicago's skyline (From the Shedd Aquarium entrance).

• Dinner at Oysy, a Japanese restaurant, Izagaya style. Think of it as tapas or dim sum.
  
• The maps exhibit at the Field Museum was awesome. I came across maps of Hull-House district (ca 1890) in Chicago that identified individuals/families by race/nationality and wage. There was also a map of England measuring literacy rates by color codes, as well as ones identifying health, income, etc. Biopolitics anyone? Governmentality?
  

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If you haven't noticed, I'm using a script that allows me to use custom headers that alternate each time the home page is accessed. Just in case you don't see them all, I posted all of them here with a description. All shots are taken by me unless stated otherwise.

#1: Evening shot of Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA. I adjusted the tint and saturation.


#2: From Thomas Hawk, photographer, of Coit Tower and Bay Bridge.


#3: Grand Central Terminal, NY. I changed the color pictures to B/W.


#4: Grand Central Terminal, NY. Same as above.


#5: Bleecker Street Station, NY. Adjusted the saturation, tint, and gave it a blotting effect.


#6: Street shot in Arlington, VA, at first snowfall. Totally random.


#7: Photo from my cellphone camera. Resolution was bad so I used a pixelated filter to give it better texture.


#8: Art shot from Hirshhorn Museum. It's a neon lit wagon.


#9: More art. Hirshhorn Museum. Collection of Hershey's bar labels.


#10: The Wish Tree by Yoko Ono in front of the Hirshhorn Museum.

DC Walkabout - At the Hirshhorn Museum

New photos added to the photoblog.

Snowfall!!!

I was so overjoyed at the first flakes of snow for this year that I went outside with my camera to photograph the moment. It's mostly random pictures around the area but I wanted to capture the initial layer of snowfall and how it changes the texture of the landscape. While I was ecstatic, my friend, on the other hand, was grumbling about extra time to warm the car, brushing the snow cover off the windshield, etc. etc. I guess I'm still new to this idea of "winter."

New York Pix!

I have my pictures from New York loaded on Zoomr so click below to check it out. I didn't bring my clunky digital camera, and instead used a simple 35mm automatic. Nothing fancy at all and it was easier to carry around. Some pictures had to be photoshopped (is that a word?) because I messed up on one thing or the other -- either I was moving, or someone bumped into me, or just a bad angle. But with some cropping and the power of editing, I was able to salvage some shots. The photos are from MOMA, Museum of Natural History, Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall, Spuyten Duyvil, the subway at Bleeker Street, and south Bronx. The photo in the above header is an edited image of Grand Central Station.

Photography and Public Spaces

I am by no means a "real" photographer. I dabbled quite a bit but I came across this photographer's weblog and I really love his work. It also helps that his photo essays are about my hometown of San Francisco. Yes I do play favorites. I also enjoy reading his accounts (article from Wired) when he's out on one of his photography trips -- and he gets harassed by the police or the local "rent-a-cops." This is what I fear when I actually do go out. I hate being hassled. It just ruins what you're trying to photograph. But I like the way Thomas Hawk, his pen name actually, approaches them and the irony of photographing what is presumably "public spaces."

It's really ironic. He's taken some wonderfully beautiful photographs of "The City" -- events, neighborhoods, scenery, and buildings. All of which everyone enjoys and photography is not only a way to preserve it, but to represent it as an experience to others. But to have the police charge you with trespassing? Or even attempt to take your camera away? I understand that there are concerns about what the photographs may be used for, or even reveal. But of public spaces like a Muni terminal? What is this fear? What does it mean when security and the protection of public space extends to its representation?

I should know better though that there's a huge difference between taking a picture of Coit Tower and the old carpet of a BART train. And the fear is how a picture of a public service program is going to be used to subvert funding, or justify budget cuts, or be used in a PR campaign to call for more environmentally safe public transportation. Yes, a picture can do many things. It is a politically powerful medium. I think that's why I like and fear this medium so much.

I have yet to go out on a photography trip of Arlington, VA, and Washington, DC -- especially when I really do look at public spaces and not your usual tourist attractions. I like taking what others often do not see and it's usually quite random. But at the same time, I also fear what others think of me when I'm there. I am conscientious about that and every now and then I get a stare or two from the locals. Sometimes I get a chat or two and what usually saves me is that I identify myself as a professor -- yes, it's my "Get Out of Jail" card. A few minutes more of chatting about what I teach and that's it. No harm done. But I think that's what makes photography such an intriguing medium. There's no one else there but yourself, the camera, your eye and your wits. It's a productive tension.

Woof!