Category: photos

Thanks to my awesome sister, I’m going to retire my Canon Powershot S300. The workhorse has taken over 7560 pictures since March of 2002 and has handled a rugged life like a champ. I’m particularly fond of the camera and Michelle thinks I’m being silly for being so nostalgic about it, but the camera has captured so much, and put some miles on. It’s even been underwater in the Atlantic on our trip to Bermuda.

At the time of it’s purchase (the last time I got a tax rebate) in 2002, it was $499. I picked it because of it’s excellent optical zoom, metal body, size, resolution, ability to shoot short movie clips and portability. I’ve been extremely pleased by it’s functioning, and love the panorama stitching function. It has also been very forgiving and has lived through a couple drops, a bike wreck or two, being sat on once or twice, and just riding around in my pocket for nearly 4 years.

Back to my awesome sister (and Fletcher). She’s noticed the uncomfortable 20 second pause between I ask people to smile and when it focuses and flashes. So Hilly got us the SD550 for christmas. It’s awesome. Small, sleek, clean, and easy to use. Oh, and it’s really fast. It shoots faster and downloads quickly (thanks to USB 2). The LCD is freakin’ huge – nearly 4 times larger than the S300, so I’ll have to watch the battery life and be more cautious about pocketing it.

I’m quite excited and have been very pleased by several of the photos I’ve taken with it. I look forward to another 4+ years of exciting photos.

I’ve put several pictures up from our trip to Edgefield. Some excellent golf, beer, dinner, and a really fun course. Please keep the caddyshack quotes to a minimum. That includes you Michelle.

update:
I also put up two new panoramas – one from the 9th hole at Edgefield, and one from the south park blocks at PSU.

Michelle just got back from Maui with her mom and brother. She’s already downloaded and named her pictures, and I’m quite impressed. If she keeps this up, I’ll be out of a job. Anyway, see her photos of Maui.

There are few artists that I feel I need to see, and rather am just glad for the opportunities to see live music when I can afford it. One of the artists I’ve felt I must see is/was KRS-ONE. Stage presence is something that comes naturally to few people. Beyond presence though is something even more rare – a person who can move a crowd with grace and ease. Someone who doesn’t even need to ask for more response by suggesting that “he can’t hear you.” Last night at Berbati’s Pan, KRS was in his element – a small club packed with people who knew his gift and couldn’t be happier to do whatever the emcee wanted.

photo by Hilary Freed

KRS did songs from back before Boom-bap and up to Keep Right, and as seemingly dated as some of his songs may seem, they sounded perfect in the place, and perfect at the time. Its difficult to convey the fluidity to his movement even despite the heat (and sweat) and his way with the crowd. It was everything he claims in his songs and more. He should be our first emcee laureate.

Wonderful weather and a trip to the Oregon Zoo with Hilary and Michelle. Highlights include seeing the wolves playing and getting some quiet time with the orangutans.

Last night I borrowed Hilly’s camera to shoot some night pictures of all the ice. With her tripod in hand, I wandered the streets looking for things that would look cool with the aid of an open shutter. I took a number of crappy shots, but managed to take some that I like as well.

Finally, cold and tired, I started walking home. Just shy I slipped and fell. I’d been holding the tripod away from me so if I did slip, it would remain upright. Sadly, we were on a hill, and shortly after I hit the ground, the tripod tipped and the camera came crashing down as well. A quick inspection made it look as if only the lens cover had been chipped. The camera worked, so I was able to sleep some. When I looked at it again in the morning I noticed a rather nasty crack in the body with the plastic bent into the camera. Damn. With any luck she can get just the plastic body piece replaced. Otherwise I’ll be camera shopping soon.

After three years of avoidance, we’ve (mostly Michelle) have started trying to put together a real album. We’re not the happiest with photos from our wedding, which I suppose is to be expected when the photographer shows up late, takes all the photos in the same spot, and misses important details like malfunctioning wardrobes. We were sharing these sentiments with family when we learned that the photographer actually indirectly asked for my father-in-law not to take pictures.

We were shocked to say the least, but then the anger set in. You mean we could have had more usable photos?!? But we don’t because the photographer not only did a crappy job, but she thwarted others from taking pictures.

The irony I guess is that both of our families put a pretty high interest on photography. Irony with paper-cut and lemon juice.

I’ve put up photos from this weekend’s activities. The cocktail party at Scott & Stephanie’s was great despite the lava-hot dip I made. mmm….. lava.

Today Hilary and I walked around town taking pictures. She was trying out her new fisheye lens, which is a lot of fun. We walked from the south end of the waterfront to PSU then north up the park blocks and through town, then back down to the waterfront to old town. We wandered around chinatown then up to the north park blocks, up Broadway through the Pioneer Courthouse Square and finally back to the car. It was a monsterous walk and most of my photos suck.

I do not recommend riding around a parking garage while looking through a fisheye lens. I got sick on the downramp.

I’ve updated the banner on the website for winter. The picture of the copper mine at Holden Village. I tried out several other banners, and the coppermine seemed the only one that was attractive and appropriate enough for the the big time.

There have been some invisible changes, but unless you’re on a screen reader of Lynx, you won’t notice them.