Doing Some Night Photography in Fort Langley

January 9th, 2012 Thomasso

Being that we are well into weeks of overcast winter weather for lousy optimum daytime photography, and it stopped raining, and it is really warm out (for this time of year), I thought why not do some night shooting with the camera? See Gallery Shots here.

I was inspired when I was searching on the net photos of Fort Langley, BC, and came across a night time shot of the Glover Road bridge, that used to take people to the Albion Ferry a few years back, so, I had to take some photos of it too! If I can shoot stars up in the sky with my camera, then I can shoot down to Earth images, with no problems at all, at night too. I focused on (pardon the pun) wide aperture, and long exposures or shutter speeds, between 5 to 10 seconds long, while keeping the ISO low, around 400 for sharpness and less noise. It was an awesome night for shooting.

Playing around with just the exposure time (shutter speed), the clouds looked really awesome! I thought the water was a great setting too becuase the original photo that I looked at also used the river for the main part of the scene. I am standing about where the original photo I saw was as far as location and where the camera is pointed.

Water, lights and clouds make a really good combination for night time shoots like this.

I have twenty shoots posted in my Gallery that you can view here: Fort Langley Jan 9 2012. All of these are night shots that I took. Let me know what you think by posting your comment in the comment link below. I would love to read them.

Posted in Around Town, General, Photographs | 2 Comments »

Breaking News: Changed My Twitter Pic!

January 7th, 2012 Thomasso

Breaking: I just changed my Twitter image, the image that is used as your avatar when you use your Twitter account. After almost six weeks having the new camera, it dawned on me to shoot a better looking image for my Twitter Identity with it instead of the web-came one I had before. So keeping with the theme and tradition, I used the same pencil that I have always used.

I have kept the same general image because I find it is hard to follow when Tweeps (Twitter users) keep changing their images around, especially when they use obscure alphanumeric names as their handles which are almost impossible to keep track of. I am now at just over 800 followers, and I am following the same number on my Twitter Account. Keeping track of that many people with weird names, I need all the help I can get, so changing your photo throws the whole memory game out the window for me.

After having the new camera for almost six weeks, I finally just got around to taking a good quality image for my Twitter Account today. Below is the stock image that I cropped and edited my final image from.

Regrettably, using Twitter, you are limited to an image size of only 700k bits, so any edge on image quality is a boon once you start reducing your image size down to this small 76 x 76 px size area.

Posted in Art, Diatribe, Events, General, Humour, Photographs, Socail Media, Twitter | Comments Off

Mind Maps: The Lost Thought

January 7th, 2012 Thomasso

Mind maps are an interesting tool becuase you either like to use them, or you do not, and when you do, you can do a lot with them when you are doing large writing, research or development projects. Or they just look pretty. This last week I was having coffee with a neighbour who brought up the topic of mind maps and her writing. This got me thinking about mind maps and there relationship to me in my little corner of the universe.

Back in the day, just over a year ago now, I used mind maps for my last research paper that involved a lot of statistical work. The paper in its finished product was only three quarters writing, and the rest was graphs and tables from the research data that I had collected. I employed the use of mind maps for mapping out my work so that I could follow the format of a academic research paper. So mind mapping really benefited me when I had all of my subject matter, ideas and thoughts and layout ready for the final edit. I should also add that mind mapping really does not help when typing out a blog post, or any short writing task for me.

Up until my days taking computer science, all of my essay planning took the form of either brain storming/free writing, cloud or mind mapping, or just winging a paper and editing it on the fly with the word processor. Most of my everyday writing is just me and the word processor, just simply becuase of ease and flexibility that a computer and word processing software bring. But I do have an attachment with mind mapping.

One of the best “free” mind mapping software out in the cyber universe is FreeMind. As far as I know it still works with Macs, possibly on Window$, but works perfect with Linux! If you have a super big writing project, and you hate hundreds of scrap pages piled all over the place, yet value fast and flexible means of spewing your thoughts down in text, then give this program a try.

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It was One Year Ago – The Loss of the IGA Store

January 5th, 2012 Thomasso

It was in the early morning hours of January 4th, 2011 when the IGA store burnt down in Fort Langley. Looking back on that day, I still get a little upset as the loss of that that store has made life a little more inconvenient for myself, and for most other residence who I have spoken to in this small community.

According to the “The Fort” Winter 2011/12 issue, the fire was caused by a “botched burglary.”

Construction of the new store on the same property started around November 2011, but the store itself will be built on the parking lot at the corner of Mavis and Church Street instead of Glover Road and Mavis. We are waiting with anticipation.

The image above (taken with a point-and-shoot Kodak M1063 camera) is the newly laid foundation of the IGA over top of the former parking lot (Mavis and Church Street).

I know for myself, seeing progress on the site is welcomed news, and I just hope that I am still living here when the store finally opens.

If you want to view some of the photos that I took of the IGA Fire back on January 4th, 2011, please click here for my photo gallery.

Posted in Around Town, Criminal Law, Events, General, Photographs | Comments Off

Perfecting Being Out of Focus: Bokeh

January 2nd, 2012 Thomasso

Outside in the elements, this time of year here in Fort Langley (near Vancouver, B.C.) it has being, well, for lack of a better word, crappy out. We seem to go through week long periods of constant overcast days, where even the wildlife just seem to want to stay away becuase it is so grey and damp out. So, if you have a the shutter bug in you, shooting indoors is all that there is left to do to satisfy the itch.

Using my plant as a model, which is about the only interesting thing that is near and already set up to shoot, I focused on not focusing. My goal was to find that nice blend of soft out of focus background, with the super sharp object in focus in the foreground and put them together. Not long ago I was trying to achieve the all focused field of view, and only shooting with the aperture as small as possible, but since then, I now see the beauty of Bokeh.

What is bokeh you ask?

In the words of Ken Rockwell on the topic of bokeh, at www.kenrockwell.com, he says that, “Bokeh describes the rendition of out-of-focus points of light.”

So what lured me towards the art of bokeh was wanting to place the object that I was photographing as the central feature of the image, and completely obscuring everything else out of view, yet still having it there as a point of reference. My early attempts were not that impressive, and as I started doing more shots using this methods, a number of issues started jumping out at me.

I am shooting with a Sony a33 using its kit lens the 3.5-5.6/18-55 SAM, so right off the bat I have huge limitations for doing indoor shots when I should be using a more appropriate lens like a 30mm 2.5 macro,  but I am on a budget, so the macro lens will have to wait.

The above image was the first shot in my shoot, using just the auto focus and flash mode of the camera. After moving the camera around the table and aiming it at the plant from different angles, I found out that the focusing was not the only issue I had to deal with.

The type of light that I was using in the room was problematic. I have a compact florescent light (CFL) over top of the plant and two incandescent light sources in the room, but further back. Switching the incandescent light source off and using the flash and CFL added more blue than what I wanted. And I tried several white balance settings before I started to get the true whites and colour tones I wanted.

On the left was the White Balance set to florescent, and on the right, using the camera’s Auto White Balance setting to do the work.

Lighting was a huge issue. Using both hot and cold light and mixing them together was not good either. Without the flash, I had very little light that I could control, and that was not good enough for the job. Cranking up the ISO for the lack of light was not working for me either as I got lots of unwanted noise in the image. This is where my inexperience showed; frustration was setting in.

The above image I felt I was getting closer. The light coming in from the back ground seemed to be about as soft as I could get it. Also, I was using the manual focus at this point. Manually adjusting the lens worked far better than the auto focus from the camera. The camera assumed that I wanted the object in the centre of the image in focus, and the nine focus points from the censor kept pushing the lens to only focus in the other areas of the viewfinder, not the object I wanted. I switched it off the Auto Focus to get the results I was looking for.

Above: this was one of those shots that was interesting becuase the camera was set to automatic, except for the focusing, and it turned out exceptionally good and interesting. I am not going to say that it is great, but it captured the depth of field very well. I personally think the image is way too complicated, so I decided to post it here as well and see if you have any comments about it.

Posted in General, Photographs | 5 Comments »

OK 2012 – 1st Day, So Far So Good

January 1st, 2012 Thomasso

It is almost nineteen hours into 2012 and so far the new year is going great for me. I spent a lot of time today cleaning, catching up with friends by email and working on some projects that I am getting into over the next few weeks. I want this year to be a productive one, but the productivity part I want to keep under control, as oppose to everything controlling me such as time management. I also know that this year may mark a possible move for myself as somewhere in the next fourteen months I have to move.  I expect that 2012 will be busy one towards the end in the last few months, but I am hoping that nothing freaky happens like unexpected unemployment or  something alone those lines does not happen.

Today, I went shopping down a Walmart in Langley City first thing. Yes, they were open, right a 7:00am. With most of the city sleeping in from last night’s festivities, the roads we perfect for driving this morning, and finding parking, well, I thought I was dreaming. Within forty minutes, I had completed the round trip and was back home unpacking all of my groceries.

I emailed about twenty friends also today. This was more or less a means of keeping in touch with everyone. Most of the contacts I made were friends from university, and some colleagues, and some were old work buddies from years ago. I doubt that I will get replies from some, as I am sure their email accounts hove long since went delinquent, so this will be test to purge them from my address book. There are also some family members that I seem to have lost contact with too–hopefully I was hear back from them?

I have an agenda for my volunteering efforts too this year. I am hoping to get that under way very soon. I want to do more time with some programs that are with Corrections Canada. Also, I want to do some time with my alumni friends. I really want to keep in touch with my old school, so helping out, I feel is the best way to do that.

I know this year is going to be one of endurance and harsh times as the world economies try and sort their messes out and hopefully do not take me down with them. I am very thankful that I do not have any debt towards anyone while all of this is going on. I have so many friends that are slowly being swallowed up by debt that I worry about them. It is a given (and so obvious)  that costs are going up, and that I will have to adapt to the changing economy – buying less with the income that I have with be the challenge for 2012. So, hopefully I will still keep my current job and not have to look for another one, (know on wood) as the Canadian job market is looking really bleak right now. Yes, I worry about that becuase I know how “on the edge” everyone is living these days.

So, here is to a good year, and one that I hope we will all get through without too many battle scares.

Cheers and Happy New Years!

Posted in Diatribe, Events, General, Holiday, Social economics | Comments Off

Happy New Year – Last Post of 2011!

December 31st, 2011 Thomasso

Well, this is it! The last post of 2011, and tomorrow will be next year.

Everyone please behave yourselves tonight. Drive safe, and please do not drink and drive, and try not to wake up the neighbourhood at 2:00am in the morning, as some of us do like to keep our regular sleeping times going through the holidays.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2012, here we come!

Posted in Art, Events, General | 2 Comments »

Looking Forward for Next Year: Higher Costs and Austerity

December 31st, 2011 Thomasso

The writing is as a plain as day on the wall, and it says that the new year is shaping up to be the “year of inflation” from my perspective, a lone soul living in a small village on the outskirts of Vancouver, BC. We all knew that government was going raise the income tax and implement other payroll punitive measures on us working class types eventually, and that most services too are mandating increases in costs as well. But, the triple whammy is fossil fuels, electricity and food. Adding it all up, I estimate that my cost of living is going to jump up by 11 percent for 2012!

I have been planning for this for the last year. I can pass most of these costs back to the consumers and other sources of income that I generate. I have no morals about increasing my costs as well, in the business sense, as long as I know that the government is dishing out the same punitive measure to the rest of the country equally. I am also in a great position where I have no ties to any financial institution bearing any encumbrances, all thanks to my “Cut Out the Middle Man and Parasite” initiatives back in 2004. Lastly, no dependants, or payouts in terms of creating my Sue-ability Scale to the lowest point possible.

I am ready for the 11.2 percent jump by ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) and the $20.00 per month increase in MSP (Medical Insurance Premiums) as stated by CBC News Dec 30th, 2011 in their story called, “2012 to be More Expensive for BC Residence.” I am also ready for the ever growing food and fuel costs as well as I have changed my buying patterns to reflect the souring economy. For my vehicle needs, driving that extra few kilometres to fill up with lower taxed gasoline is paying off in the long run. Also, buying from local farmers and markets has also started to pay off, although it is hard to avoid shopping at the big-box retailers for the savings.

The message for 2012 that I am giving is one of money restraint, and fiscal caution. Do not make that large money purchase of which you will have to finance from a money lender, if you saved the money then fly at it. Save what you can, be it pennies, twonies or fifty bucks here and there, but have that liquid pool of cash close at hand, and spend it when absolutely necessary, unless you have lots and see the sliver lining in the clouds. The “Cash is King” economy is flourishing at my work as I am starting to see a mild upswing in cash transactions. This is a sign that I see as people are starting to, either bypassing their debts with their financial institutions, or they are finally working in a cash economy, but cash seems to be back in style again. However, I still see credit card buying as the number one method of buying, which is more than likely fuelling personal debt like we have never seen before becuase I highly doubt that most Canadians are using these credit devices as they were meant to be used. Also in my message, I encourage people to shop on-line becuase the deals that are available from down South in the U.S. are incredible. “Shop and Save and only buy what you need,” is the message that I am sending out for 2012.

I consider myself a low income earner. I do not claim to be that all knowing economist and prognosticator of Doomsday Sayers. I only know where I stand, and based on this, I can say with certainty that many who are in my income bracket are feeling the same way too.

Moreover, there is one pressing issues that I hate above all else, and that are parasites, be it government, Banks or commerce. I really see the need to think in ways that means changing my lifestyle and critically thinking my way through long term money planning to avoid, or rid myself of those parasites. They make me itch and scratch too.

Posted in Around Town, Diatribe, Events, General, Social economics | Comments Off

Another Shot At Orion – Night Time Photography

December 31st, 2011 Thomasso

Finally another evening with some clear skies that I can just walk out into my back yard and start shooting the stars.

I focused on focusing, becuase this seems to be my biggest issue with this camera. The wide angle lens that I have, is the kit lens that came with the camera, and it does not have an infinity mark on it, so focusing to infinity is difficult. Focusing is frustrating when set up at night with only the stars to focus upon.

The image is 30mm, ISO 200, F2.3 for 20 seconds. Using the 600 divided by focal length rule, I was just outside of the star trail effect with respect to the Earth’s rotation and my exposure time.

Setting stuff like the ISO and F-Stop I have down. Using the timer on my tripod is a huge bonus since I still do not have a remote switch for it yet. But, my night time photography has come along ways since my first night with the camera, just need more time and money.

On my wish list, I really want a wide angle lens, say, something like a 25 or 30mm macro that I can do a vast amount of sky with it. I am really liking this Sony a33. Learning new stuff with it everyday.

Posted in Astronomy, Bitching about weather, General, Photographs | Comments Off

Another Inspiring Moment in Art, Done in Five Minutes

December 27th, 2011 Thomasso

Yes, another inspiring moment in art, all done within fine minutes using my 9 by 12 inch USB drawing tablet. As per usual, I was board out of my tree, and needed some mental stimulation last night to get me through. I was tired from my marathon of reading, and had a few hours to kill before I needed to get to bed to sleep to start my work week on the right foot. My sleep cycles got all mixed up from the long weekend, so setting myself up for sleep was a priority. I plunged in my graphic tablet and away I went.

I know, it is not much to look at, but what do you expect for five minutes of drawing time?

I used a program called My Paint, which is an open source and it is free to use. It has some amazing brushes and brush effects in it, and it is very easy to use. It is nothing like the thousand dollar proprietary software you see on the market, but for its cost, this program rocks!

I did have a hard time sleeping. My sleep through the night was difficult becuase I was not that tired; in fact I was a little cranky this morning from the lousy quality of my sleep last night. My five minute art therapy was a bust in that regards, but it was fun.

My hand and eye coordination is off becuase I am drawing on a tablet, and the results, or what you are seeing, are up on the monitor, so I found my arm wanting to do weird positions while I was drawing; I was having to really think out what I was doing. A very weird feeling to get used to if you are only used to drawing on a piece of paper instead of looking up at a monitor while drawing on the table.

Posted in Art, Diatribe, General, Humour, Software, Story Telling | 1 Comment »