2007-08-31

Picasa Highlight

I compose the following shots based on learning from other in forum discussion. Thanks to Millar for the tips and suggestions to make this possible. I don't have Photoshop to post process the image to wash out the background, I use Picasa Highlight to achieve similar effect

Original without any post processing

Using Picasa Hightlight in Tuning section, I adjust both Highlight and Lighting until the background is blown out in white light. Use Picasa sizing slider zoom and histogram to watch the changes in 100% crop so as not to blow out the picture details by the adjustment.

Final version

While in Picasa with 100% crop and histogram in place and notice that I adjust the slider bar on bottom right to the middle indicator to achieve 100% crop

slider in middle at 100% crop


Histogram at normal crop

Few pointers worth noting:
  1. Aim object against back lit environment

  2. Use spot metering to get accurate exposure on the subject

  3. Adjust highlight with histogram and watch the change in 100% crop to avoid excessive blown out in highlight
Another picture to show the back lit environment which is facing a window with lots of light.


All pictures are taken with Pentax K100D and Pentax FA 50 f/1.4

Related Posts:


2007-08-30

Flickr Blog Banner

BigHugeLabs offers online tool for creating blog banner from you own photo. Here are few samples of banners created from Blog Banner in BigHugeLabs




Related Posts & Links:

2007-08-29

Flickr Frame Maker

BigHugeLabs offers online tool for adding frame to a photo. It is a neat online tool that comes in handy in adding frame to a photo. I especially like the style in 'reflection', 'frosted glass' and 'Brushed Edge.'

Frame style:



Reflection


Frosted Glass


Brushed Edge (Portrait)


Related Posts & Links:

Wordless Wednessday -- Macro on flower

Four Letters 'F' Pictures

I have picked four pictures with four letters word starting with 'F' in Fuji, Flag, 4x4 and Fall. Except the first picture, all are taken with Fuji F30.

Fuji

4x4

Flag

Fall

2007-08-27

Flickr Billboard

Sunset picture by Fuji F30

BigHugeLabs offer online editing tools for creating billboards with your photos using an URL or a path to your pictures in your computer. It is a very neat online tool with picture. It warms my heart to see my boy Ben in yellow shirt in time square


2007-08-22

Flickr Movie Poster

It is always a nice visit to BigHugeLabs for some new tool online on Movie Poster to work on pictures. It is not exclusive to Flickr users. Input for the poster can come from local file, flickr page, photobucket, and URL which should pretty much covers many photo sites. I should give it more tries to perfect my draft for 'F' picture preview for next Wednesday.

And below is another sample of a b&w conversion photo done in Picasa Filtered B&W and the photo was taken a while ago with my Fuji F30 while visiting home in Macau.

More hand-held Macau Night pictures with Fuji F30 can be seen in Macau Night Pictures and Hand-Holding with Fuji F30.

Related Posts:

Blown Background using Picasa

1/200 sec, f2.8, 50mm, iso 200, +7/10ev

I am using Picasa Hightlight to blown out the background on this picture. Picture is taken with Pentax K100D and Pentax FA 50 f/1.4. I probably forgot about using spot metering on this shot that makes it harder for me to raise the highlight on this shot without blowing the highlight in the book cover. I find it a challenge for me to take pictures in a back lit environment. There is so much to learn in photography. Every scene and every picture can be a challenge and a lesson yet to be learned.

Another previous attempt with lesser highlight tuning after using 'I am feeling lucky' in Picasa


Related Posts:

Elephant Decoration

This magazine cover is another sample of Flickr Magazine Cover that I use in BigHugeLabs flickr toys. The original mosaic are also composed from the same site as described in Mosaic Maker. All pictures are taken with Fuji F30 while visiting San Ramon Windemere Open House.


Links:Photograph ABC on 8/22/2007:

2007-08-20

Flickr Magazine Cover


I find amazing online tool for Flickr photos
And this site is not exclusive to Flickr users only, you can build magazine cover with URL to pictures of your photo site or photo that resides in your local drive in your computer. It is a very neat online tool to make wonderful magazine cover of your choice. For instance, I have few pictures forming this Mosaic 1x3 from Mosaic Maker that I have blogged about a week ago

And within a minute or two, I can have a magazine cover created online and ready to download or upload back to Flickr.

Related Posts:

Awesome Guy Blogger Award

I am fortunate to receive this Awesome Guy Blogger award from Mrs Nesbitts in her recent entry in her blog. Thank you to Mrs Nesbitts for her efforts in pulling all photographers in the Photograph ABC Wednesday events. One can visit all entries for the events in B, C and D and it is going to be more challenging in the upcoming Wednesday for E.

———————– xXx———————–

I will need to pass my awesome guy blogger award to five other bloggers

  • To be announed
  • To be announed
  • To be announed
  • To be announed
  • To be announed

———————– xXx———————–


2007-08-19

Yahoo Camp 2007





All pictures are taken with Pentax K100D and Pentax DA 50-200.

My kids had a lot of fun in Yahoo summer camp and the location got changed this year from Blackberry farm in Cupertino to San Mateo County Fairground. My kids enjoy the puppet show, train ride as well as the Cotton Candy.

My One Money Advice

Picture taken with Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro

Moolanomy tagged me in his “My One Money Advice” (MOMA) Meme. He was inspired by Blog Action Day and he has tagged four other friends for the post. I believe they all do have interesting and insightful posts for 'My One Money Advice.'

I think Pinyo may have tagged the wrong person for the job. If you do everything the opposite of Hin, you will be living in a different universe in parallel with unthinkable amount of money, fame and power. I should be the last person to learn about money advice but rather my many mistakes that I continue to make.

My one advice is not to compare yourself to others and think about Money all the time. While achieving your financial goals, take time to spend with those you love and treasure.

"Take time for what's important to you,
what makes you happiest,

Take time to be with those you love,
sharing wishes and secret dreams.

Take time to look around at all the gladness the world offers.
All of it is yours, if only you take the time"

-- author unknown

Now that I offer my strangely looking green picture and non-traditional money advice, I want to tag my 5 friends for this "My One Money Advice" -- momoftwicebabies, abhanagar19, myroslimh, Efren A. and Allen

What everyone is saying?

2007-08-17

My Best Post Train

Picture is taken with Fuji F30

I am joining the campaign run by blog-op.com in Give Me Your Best Shot in finding the best post in my two blogs that I author. I have selected these two memorable and current posts as my best posts:
Instruction has been modified to start another train hopefully with more participants in tagging five of my friends to join the train. Now Hin wonders what is the best post in his good friends not in particular order of importance:

Instructions : ***Start Copy***

Proposition: Blog about your best post in your blog. Please limit to one entry per blog you own.

Tag Mode: Tag 5 of your blogger friends and include them in the train when they submit a 'My Best Post' post

Link Train: Add your anchor and post link below.

Their best posts: (to be updated for new comers)
Instructions : ***End Copy**

And please inform the owner of your train when you have a post so that update can be done timely to include everyone on the train.

Thoughts on Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro



I have no more remorse over my impulse purchase of Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro upon expiration notice from eBay for $37 through the buy-it-now option with J.D.Katz in eBay. And I wish the store owner can stock up on Pentax gear and he is a perfect score eBay vendor on Minota gear. And I for one have given him perfect rating over the purchase. Here are few positive thoughts on the inexpensive lens
  • Manual focusing is difficult but not as bad as I thought it would be.

  • Color and Contrast seems to be better than my impressions on DA 18-55 but I certainly miss the AF in the kit's lens over manual focusing.

  • Sharpness seems better with this zoom than DA 18-55.

  • The zoom range from 28-80 is much more usable for my causal walk around use with static objects such as flowers and scenery with buildings. I seldom use at 18mm in my kit's len as I don't have the opportunity in traveling landscape scenery and at wide open, I think the kit's len is soft. I find the zoom 28-80 much more versatile in casual street photography.

  • The lens is on the heavy side though. It is much heavier than the kit's len but better built in my initial impressions.

  • Focusing ring is wider than that in my DA lens. I find it acceptable in the manual focusing with focus trap technique in moving the focusing ring past the spot with red light for focusing lock. I usually find myself not locking focus the first time reaching the spot. It usually take me three trials in order to get the focus lock and shutter release enabled.

    Update: after further exploration with M42 lens such as Pentacon 50mm f/1.8, I find the Takumar focusing ring much harder to tune for focus as compared to older M42 lens. It is wider than the kit's lens but not wide enough for the fine tuning needed in manual focusing. I guess I get what I pay for. On the Takumar, the focusing ring is quite slippery to tune for a stable position.
    It would have been nice if the ring is wider and not as slippery.

  • At night time, the manual focusing part is way harder as the lens is slow wide open at f/3.5. But manual focusing is still manageable, not great though.

  • It is impossible for me to focus off center without using the navigation to shift focus point. I am used to center focus and recompose the shot. I have only managed to do center focus so far with manual focusing method.

  • Due to fine tunning required in manual focusing, it is much hard to do vertical oriented pictures than horizontal one.

  • Macro, the lens does macor at 80mm, it surprises me with the Macro in getting a close distance though I don't have the specific on how close I can get, perhaps somewhere less than a feet


  • Lens Flare: it does happen when I take a shot on purpurse and I have since purchased an inexpensive lens hood to add to my gear along with better front cap.






Picture of Takumar with added lens hood

Picture of Takumar in original purchase
Courtesy from store owner
J.D.Katz in eBay

Related Posts:

2007-08-16

Chasing My Boy with DA 50-200

1. IMGP1100, 2. IMGP1101, 3. IMGP1102, 4. IMGP1103, 5. IMGP1104, 6. IMGP1105, 7. IMGP1106, 8. IMGP1107, 9. IMGP1108, 10. IMGP1109, 11. IMGP1110, 12. IMGP1111, 13. IMGP1112, 14. IMGP1113, 15. IMGP1114, 16. IMGP1115, 17. IMGP1116, 18. IMGP1117, 19. IMGP1118, 20. IMGP1119, 21. IMGP1120, 22. IMGP1121, 23. IMGP1122, 24. IMGP1123, 25. IMGP1124, 26. IMGP1153, 27. IMGP1154, 28. IMGP1155, 29. IMGP1156, 30. IMGP1157, 31. IMGP1158, 32. IMGP1159, 33. IMGP1160, 34. IMGP1161, 35. IMGP1164, 36. IMGP1165

I was literally running with my DA 50-200 while hiking with my older boy aged at 5 with fast moving legs and great fondness in playing hike and seek with his slow moving Dad. I could not have made the shots had I not carried my DA 50-200. The lens is an absolute joy in taking pictures outdoor.


And consider that I was actually running, paused and took the shots, the lens does pretty good in capturing the motion in the running. I was a bit off in not getting the full body in many of the shots. And that was likely because of the fact that I was running with him and have little time to frame the shot properly.

I shot the series before I get my FA 50 f/1.4. And I think many of the shots are at a very far distance and I actually used 200mm. I think the FA 50 would be a bit faster in the AF but it can't reach my boy's outrunning me in front.

It is a pure joy in taking this series. I feel like doing paint-ball with my DA 50-200. It is how I feel on that day! I ran after my boy, heart pounding with both hands securing my DA for protection, heavy backpack on my back with ammunition for more power -- battery, kit's len and water. I set zoom at range closer to 200 mm, paused behind my running boy, aim and shoot, and ran again. And in some of the shots in the series, I managed to knell down to get extra stability.

Related Posts:


2007-08-15

Drummer


I always enjoy the drummer in a band. I shot almost 30+ pictures on this band while visiting San Ramon Windemere open house. It is a great band with lovely music and the drummer is the person that gets my most attention. Not only does he play wonderful music, he plays with his heart and soul into the music. And his shirt color matches his drum. And I wish I know how to play drum like him. He is so cool looking and he certainly enjoys what he does and I can sense it from the smile and movement of his body in perfect tune with the music. I am glad that I have my Fuji F30 to take all the pictures in the event in a non intrusive fashion.

Links:
Photograph ABC on 8/15/2007:

2007-08-14

1st Day with Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro

1. IMGP1492, 2. IMGP1491, 3. IMGP1490, 4. IMGP1489, 5. IMGP1488, 6. IMGP1487, 7. IMGP1486, 8. IMGP1485, 9. IMGP1484, 10. IMGP1483, 11. IMGP1482, 12. IMGP1481, 13. IMGP1480, 14. IMGP1479, 15. IMGP1478, 16. IMGP1477, 17. IMGP1476, 18. IMGP1475, 19. IMGP1474, 20. IMGP1473, 21. IMGP1472, 22. IMGP1471, 23. Lens Flare, 24. IMGP1469, 25. IMGP1468, 26. IMGP1467, 27. IMGP1466, 28. IMGP1465, 29. IMGP1505, 30. IMGP1503, 31. IMGP1499, 32. IMGP1497, 33. IMGP1496, 34. IMGP1495, 35. IMGP1494, 36. IMGP1493

Related Posts:

2007-08-13

Mosaic Maker

These mosaic pictures are taken with Pentax K100D and Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 and the mosaic pictures are created from an online page providing all kinds of online tools for Flickr photos but the mosaic maker should work with other photo sites besides flickr. All it needs are url links to photos. It is convenient with flickr users as it allows upload of the mosaic pictures made in the process. Unlike a program, the options are limited but I won't complain with something that I can do in few minutes.



1. IMGP1371, 2. IMGP1365, 3. IMGP1354, 4. IMGP1364

The mosaic maker also provides all image links with titles for each individual photos composing the mosaic -- very neat tool and I highly recommend it to others.

Related Posts:

2007-08-11

Portraits with Pentax DA 50-200

Picture link to Portraits with Pentax DA 50-200
Thirsty Water

Though it is slower len wide open at f/4.0, I find Pentax DA 50-200 very versatile in taking indoor pictures for my kids. It has great color, sharpness, and bokeh for me. And best of all, it is light and I can frame my shot at ease from a farther distance observing my kids without interruption to their fun activity acting out at an any unplanned moment in the day. The above series are totally unplanned in a Sunday afternoon when my two boys have a great laugh in drinking their water. I am yet to look for an external flash to work on indoor portraits.

I love my Pentax DA 50-200, I use it the most among the combo lens with DA 18-55 and the recent purchase of FA 50 f/1.4 and Takumar 28-80 Macro. If I can get an external flash to assist in indoor pictures, it will be a great addition for my kids' pictures for both indoor and outdoor.

Picture link to Hiking with DA 50-200

Related Posts:


Flash after Pentax FA 50 f/1.4

After the fast lens, I am looking for alternatives to Pentax PTTL flash. I am on a low budget and 540 can't fit well into my short term plan. As I have shared with others, I have great liking in using my DA 50-200 on portraits with my kids and many situations especially outdoor

And for indoor, I intend to get a flash to assist all of my slow lens with some help from a swivel and bounced flash. My budget allows me to find a flash in getting the help from bouncing flash light from ceiling while taking indoor pictures in a reasonable distance. Among others, I am looking into the following flash for my K100D I am especially interested in this $80 (after shipping) Twin Tyristor Flash from Gadget Infinity in eBay. More links for Twin Thyristor below: Twin Thyristor Flash
Related Posts:
Update:

I am down to three non-pttl flashes that I constantly look for information.
  • Vivitar 285HV around $89, new in BHPhoto, strong, inexpensive, bounce but no swivel,

  • Metz 36C-2 around $120, no swivel, smaller and more compact, better recycle time than Vivitar 285HV

  • Sunpack 383 around $80, with bounce and swivel, less powerful than Vivitar

2007-08-10

Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro Test Shots

1/8 sec, f/4.0, 35 mm, iso 800, 0ev

It is funny that I got my Takumar on Tuesday night and my FA 50 f/1.4 on Wednesday and I find myself more excited about the inexpensive Takumar zoom lens. Not sure why. The build quality is quite good and manaul focus is difficult but not as bad as I thought it would be. And I quite like the wider and finer tunning of the focusing ring compared to the DA 18-55 or the DA 50-200 that I have. I need to find the 58mm thread (with screw mount, I think) in eBay soon. Since it does not have SMC coating, lens hood is needed to minimize flare. So far, I find two in eBay
My Takumar left my FA 50 f/1.4 idle at least for yesterday. I don't have a good picture from the Takumar, but here is my 1st shot last night trying out the manual focus in low light on the Chinese vinegar bottle on my kitchen counter top at about 8 feet distance, the WB is weird and wacky for indoor in my K100D and not even tungsten WB can fully cope in this hand held shot at low light on iso 800, it has an unpleasant yellow cast on it. Perhaps a custom white balance with a coffee filter is needed. I will try shooting more soon to report about the $37 lens. To be fair, I should try it out in daylight and outdoor. But the indoor picture shows clarity from edge to edge and I find that just the manual focusing practice that I get from this inexpensive lens is well worth the money spent on LBA.

What do you all think? Please comment to stop my LBA trend.

Related Posts:

Pentax SMC FA 50 f/1.4 Test Shots




After a month of debate between Pentax FA 35 f/2.0, Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 and Manual 50mm, I finally made the move on July 31, 2007 to make good use of the $25 rebate. With LBA (lens buying addiction), I also purchased the Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro from eBay for $37 plus shipping.

It is a bad idea to purchase two lens at the same time, I get distracted in deciding which one to try out. I am as excited as ever with the two new lens. Initial impressions of the FA 50mm f/1.4 is very good. The color, focusing, stopping down to f/2.0 seems to go well although I find some f/2.0 shots at small text print to be way softer than using my DA 50-200 at f/4.0. It is too early to tell as I have only done few test shots for comparison. Shame but I try not to pixel peep at the pictures. In shooting few objects in my desktop today, I find the wonder in narrow DOF in the lens and I can't wait to try it on the ultimate purpose of this lens in the weekend with my kids. That is the whole idea for me in getting this lens for indoor portraits

Related:

2007-08-09

Millionaire For A Day!

Money Tree by Pentax K100D and DA 50-200

I saw this Millionaire For A Day! post from a my BlogCatalog blogger friend Maurica and I try to come up with ideas to join the discussion with meme promotion of blogs.

If I were given a million, I would probably do these:
  • Stop blogging for money or use the money earned from blogging to finance some notable causes for humanity efforts such as world vision

  • Visit family in Macau, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Perhaps go visit some new places with my family that I have been always wanting to explore -- Japan and Europe

  • Equip myself for next visions that the Almighty may have revealed to me in better clarity. I am kind of lost at the current moment of my life. I love photography, people and writing. I am constantly asking Him to tell me what He likes me to do. I am still pretty much lost on what I am here on earth for.

  • Spend and restore all of my lost time with my family from working late nights for work projects and the never ending dreams of mine to be wiser, richer, and becoming a better person with a positive attitude and a cheering smile.
Now Hin wants to know what would Steve, WalksFarWoman, Norski, AdTracker, and Pinyo would like to do if they are given $1million

Instructions : ***Start Copy***

Proposition: If you Have $1,000,000.00…………………………
Requirements: continue above sentences
Tag Mode: 5 bloggers
Link: Add your anchor and post link below.


What They Do With Their $1 Million


2007-08-08

Cotton Candy


Pictures were taken in Yahoo Camp 2007 with Pentax K100D and Pentax DA 50-200. I am participating for the 'C' letter theme for Photograph ABC on Wednesday and I chose a picture of my two kids having cotton candy.

Links:
Photograph ABC on 8/8/2007:


California Sky Cotton Candy
Red Canna Lily
Cow! Clouds Candy Canal Boat
Cathedral Clock Candle
Cemetery
Clydesdales

2007-08-07

My Best Post

I am joining the campaign run by blog-op.com in Give Me Your Best Shot in finding the best post in my two blogs that I author. I have selected these two memorable and current posts as my best posts


Instructions & Rules to Readers:
  • Write a post on your blog linking to your best post, and maybe telling us why you like it. Link back to me, using this post, and when I get the pingback, I’ll visit, have a read and leave a comment. If your software doesn’t do pingbacks, link me and leave me a comment telling me to visit. Finish your post by inviting your readers to share their best posts with you in the same way. If you want to, include these ‘rules’ although they’re more like a guide

  • ‘The Rules’
  1. Write a post telling your readers about your ‘best shot’ and link them to it.

  2. Linkback to the blog which first asked you to give your best shot.

  3. Ask your readers for their best posts, and then ensure you read and comment on them.

  • Why?
    What’s the purpose of doing this? To breathe some fresh air into old posts, to share some linkage, to expose readers to new blogs (now will be a good time to de-lurk and publicise your blog!) and maybe get each other some more traffic.
  • Don’t forget that when you read the submitted ‘best shots’ to leave a comment, and also if you enjoyed them to Digg them, Stumble them or whatever seems appropriate.

Links:

2007-08-06

Takumar Asahi 28-80mm Macro Pentax A mount



Yeah, I thought I never would fall for LBA (Lens Buying Addiction) as I am running a low budget for my hobby. Maybe too much coffee or something. When I saw my watched item close to expiration in ebay, I click and then somewhat remorse for not doing the proper research. And I fall for this one today getting TAKUMAR ASAHI 28-80mm MACRO from ebay with beautiful pictures form the
ebay vendor J.D.Katz in eBay who specializes in Minolta gear. Pictures are courtesy from store owner J.D.Katz.




My first LBA costs me $37 bucks plus shipping and I later find out people complaining about it as a crappy lens. There are threads praising Takumar on the M42 mount version. How would a newbie like me can tell? My bad excuse but still a little bit of remorseful!!! It is coming in a week's time and time will tell. I like to be challenged with inexpensive lens such as the kit's len and the DA 50-200. I bought this lens for the following purposes:
  1. An inexpensive M lens with A for auto aperture so that I don't need to stop down to have proper exposure. I need to venture into the untapped world of Pentax old M lens and M42 lens in the future.

  2. I can't find the equivalent of A 50 mm f/1.7 for a reasonable price to try out the highly regarded M lens and I personally find zoom lens to be easier for me to frame my shot.

  3. I like the range of 28-80mm and it has macro although I don't know the spec for the macro.
Useful Links:

Related Posts:

2007-08-03

AdSense $100 Movement


Come July 31, 2007, it was my defining moment seeing a balance over 2 digits. Yeah!!! I finally made it to $100 and I look forward to the celebration with my older boy whom I have a cute Man 2 Man about AdSense conversation. He sort of challenged me in asking when I would make it to $2000. With some renewed energy and insights learned from mistakes, I am charged to meet that seemingly impossible goal. $2000 it is!!! Thanks to my son for the challenge and the manly chat.

My last $40 was made from mid June to July and that was the time when I joined up MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog for community support as well as social networking. And I am here to start an AdSense $100 Movement in which I am picking friends from network who are yet to make that $100 paycheck from Google AdSense. When it comes to AdSense payment, I almost want to use the F word but it is nowhere near enough in calming the frustration that I have with the program. Unlike everyone who brags about their success, I can brag about the misery and frustration in making that $100 mark that AdSense imposes on publishers to reach for the 1st payment.

In order to help all of my friends in BlogCatalog to make that mark, we can all chip in to help with backlinks, I start picking three friends to blog about their blogs and let's pass on that movement from all people who made the $100 mark to all those slaving for that 1st $100 mark. Here are first my first three picks for AdSense $100 Movement started in this
BlogCatalog Discussion by me
  • Blog Cabin I really like this movie review site. It is presented nicely and I trust the ratings in this blog. A lot of detailed information along with good and honest writing.

  • Where is that money I normally don't like reading any blogs that has a 'money' title on it. I will be very suspicious of those blogs. But my friend Gerri has done an excellent job doing all the hardwork in providing valuable information for his audience.

  • Daisy the Curly Cat If you are a cat and animal lover, you have got to visit Daisy' blog. It is a nice find for me to see all the wonderful pictures of a curly cat. Extremely cute and refreshing.
And for all those people that I pick, you are not required to link back but I urge you to pass on the links to two of your fellow bloggers who are yet to make that $100 mark and one other blogger who have posted for this AdSense $100 Movement.

Participating Blog List (to be updated for new comers):

2007-08-01

Photography ABC on 'B'


I am very excited to participate on a BlogCatalog discussion of photographers linking together with a picture themed on letter 'B' on this week. I chose my baby picture for the event.

Links:

Photograph ABC on 8/1/2007:

Basque Busy Bee Bussing Buckaroo Blanke
Blechnum Brasiliense Beachcomming
Bullet Hole Bee Cuz Baby Bose