 September 30, 2008, at 7:31 pmThis man punched a shark to rescue his dog. I know both Jim and I would do something like this to rescue Cooper if anything should happen to him. Hopefully it never will. We definitely won’t be taking Coop to Islamorada any time soon! NOTE: I’ve updated the video so there should be no browser issues. Please let me know if you can’t access the video. September 27, 2008, at 12:37 amI don’t understand this phenomenon. I’ve heard stories about people riding bikes with their helmets strapped to their racks or hung around their handlebars, and I always thought it was strange, but it wasn’t until I saw a man riding like this today that it really got to me. The man looked to be in his 50s, and was riding a hybrid bike with the helmet strapped to his rear rack. I passed him for the first time on the bike path at Lake Harriet. I saw the helmet riding impotently behind him and thought, this man probably has children. They might not be young children, but they still love him the same. How would they feel if a driver lost control and drove up onto the bike path, and their father didn’t make it? Would it be any consolation that a helmet was found at the scene, possibly still strapped to the bike? This man may have a wife. How would she feel about the prospect of spending her silver years without her husband? Was he thinking about these people when he strapped that helmet to the bike? I wanted to say something. I wanted to tell him to put the helmet on. I see people all the time riding without helmets and I don’t think much of it. It’s their choice. But this man thought about it. He put the helmet on the bike. Maybe he put it there for storage and meant to put it on but forgot? Hmm, probably not likely. But something made him bring it, and something made me care. I stopped to take some pictures and the man caught up with me and passed me. The helmet was still strapped to his bike, but I was coming to terms with it. It was still his choice, right? He was a grown man and didn’t need me telling him what to do. I could accept that. But when I passed him further up the trail and I saw him wearing his helmet, it made me smile. September 25, 2008, at 10:05 pmI love my SLR. I love the click of the mirror moving out of the way, the sound of the shutter and the film advancing. I love the way the lens focuses. I like the feel of the camera; it makes me feel like I know what I’m doing, even when I don’t. I’ve always found the settings a bit of a mystery, but my photography class is making their uses clear and I like the control they offer (er, the promise of control they offer – I’d have to know what I was doing to gain any control from them!) So the question poses itself – why don’t I shoot more with the SLR and less with the digital point and shoot? There are some obvious reasons for choosing the Digital Elph. It fits in my pocket, and I get the instant gratification of seeing the picture. I don’t have to worry about how many pictures I take, or about getting them developed and printed. And if they don’t come out perfect I’m not stuck with them. But the biggest reason for me to stick with digital has been that I can’t get the pictures up on Flickr. Yes, Flickr. That’s what’s been holding me back. I know you can get a CD made, but I’ve always been a bit suspcious of the quality, so I’ve avoided it. Well, the light has shined on me. It seems that all I need to do is to get a negative scanner. And they’re relatively cheap. Genius! Now all I’m wondering is – why did it take me so long to figure this out?? I already own a great camera. Why not use it? So I think I might have to go pick up a few more rolls of film. And maybe a 50mm f/1.8 lens. And we’ll see where that takes me. September 23, 2008, at 6:34 pm
One of our more interesting finds was this reddish-orange woolly bear caterpillar. According to folklore the amount of black on a woolly bear indicates how harsh the winter will be. The more black on the woolly bear, the harsher the winter, so this bear bodes well for the upcoming freeze. Of course, we live in Minnesota so a mild winter probably means snow and high temperatures above zero most days, but I’ll take what I can get! September 18, 2008, at 10:51 amIt’s official. After reading a few reviews of the new technology and beta versions of the Canon EOS 50D, I’m in love! There are no production product hands-on reviews yet as the camera won’t be available until next month, but the reviews I found of beta versions and the professional assessments of the improvements Canon is making over the 40D really do have me sold. I also checked out a few sites that gave image samples comparing Canon to other camera brands and I’m sold on the image quality and native color of the Canon line. My biggest concern about choosing the 50D as my next camera was the weight. At around 25 ounces the camera is pretty hefty. BUT, it’s lighter than the 40D, and the articles I’ve read really indicate that for this level of camera this is the general weight class. I thought a lot about going with an advanced compact like the new Canon G10, but a number of articles state that the sensor just can’t handle higher ISO. Since I don’t ALWAYS shoot outside in bright light (who does?) I’d rather go with a camera that can handle the full range, and from what I’m reading, the 50D will be that camera. So yeah, I will have to lug around a pound and a half of camera around if I want great shots. I’ll accept that. My other concern was that the 50D was only one step down from the 5D, which is a professional level full-frame sensor camera. Maybe it wasn’t really worth the money and I should get something more entry-level and then upgrade to a 5D later? But the last review I read from CNet’s Underexposed blog pointed out that the body of the 5D is twice the price! I knew that, but I really didn’t think about it like that. And the review also pointed out the exceptional quality of the 50D, which made me feel very comfortable in the value. It may be a long time before I’m at the level where I require a 5D, and with a price tag of almost $3000 for the body, I better NEED it! All that said, I’d love to find a great deal on the 50D. So I did a little search, and found that Prestige Camera is selling the 50D for just under $1000. This is the presale price, so maybe they’re giving a discount because the camera’s not out yet? I thought maybe I’d find it for $100 off, but this is a huge discount from the $1400 list price, and that makes me suspicious. Is there something here for me to be concerned about? I’ve got quite a while to look into it, as I probably won’t be getting the camera until Christmas anyway. But wow, that’s a lot of camera at that price! NOTE: I have removed the link to Prestige Camera as I’ve found out that many people have been scammed by them. They are a “bait and switch” company and they sell gray market products. Too bad for me, and for them, that they won’t be getting my business! |
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