I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and freedom of press. Both are so important for the general well being of our country and our own selves that I could write a book on the topic. If freedom of speech and press were not available to us you would not be reading this blog. Our life as we know it has been shaped by freedom of speech.
In Hong Kong right now a movement is happening because of China wanting the ability to approve Hong Kong's candidates for their 2017 elections. Hong Kong was once sort of "borrowed" by Britain and returned as per agreement to China in 1997 with the promise that Hong Kong would be able to operate as they had been under British rule, but still be a part of China. This meant that they could have democratic elections and other freedoms that came with democracy. Now however China wants to "approve" who Hong Kong can "democratically" elect into office. Because of this a peaceful protest on a massive scale began and police handled it poorly. It's interesting that police reacted the way they did, throwing tear gas and pepper spraying protesters, because Hong Kong has peaceful protests quite often, it is nothing necessarily new for them.
This is not something that is only happening in Hong Kong though. Here in the U.S. we face our own problems all the time with freedom of speech and other freedoms. Perhaps we aren't facing exactly the same issues Hong Kong is, but we face our own all the time. It's just a part of an imperfect race trying to perfectly govern an imperfect race.
Now that brings me to why freedom of speech, and more importantly for this post, freedom of press is bad.
Something has been really bugging me lately. As I browse the internet which I so often do, (I am a computer science major after all so that's my excuse for being on a computer way too much) I am bombarded with news articles about this or that. I love it, I don't watch television much so being able to get so much news at basically all times without having to watch TV or waiting for the next day's paper is a blessing. What I can't stand though is how much crap is also out there. More disgusting is how many people accept it without question.
Everyday I see things linked to me through Facebook, e-mails, YouTube, etc. that is just complete fear mongering click bate.
Allow me to rant for a minute about some things I have observed.
Many times the things linked to me, especially on Facebook, are articles that the person linking has not fully read through themselves. The person linking it will say something like, "What is our country coming to??" and the article will be about France or the lost city of Atlantis... (not 100% sure about Atlantis!) Most of the time I disregard these articles because I naturally have a distrust for any "no name" news sources that I stumble across via Facebook. However, every once in a while a title grabs my interest and I end up reading it with a high level of skepticism as any informed media consumer should treat all things read from any source. When I get through the page I am usually just mortified that any self respecting journalist could write such a horrific, fear mongering, biased, short sighted, unreliable, and borderline untruthful article on anything. Sometimes I feel like reading the tabloids would be a more credible source of information.
What I am saying here is this; freedom of speech and media is ever so important. Without it we would not have a voice when we really needed it. However, it's becoming a little bit like the boy who cried wolf. Media above all else must be trusted to spread accurate and honest information. When we have to second guess the validity of anything said from any news source, media becomes toxic at best. When you begin to abuse media and freedom of speech for your own selfish gains, it's not really you who loses out. You are stealing something from a society and potentially the entire world.
To those of you who believe everything you see on Facebook, please research more extensively before you draw a conclusion. Unfortunately we cannot take news coverage at face value. Some may argue, "Have we ever?" and to that I would answer, "No," but there has always been a moral responsibility for journalists to follow. More and more this is becoming swept under the rug for internet traffic and "Likes." Just be careful everyone, there is some bad stuff out there that some sources are trying very hard to make you aware of. But their voice is being squelched by the fear mongering sensational media screaming, "OBAMA DRINKS RADIOACTIVE SPORTS DRINKS EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED!"
Really guys, just read.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Personal Projects
Hello everyone. This is blog post #50. In the grand scheme of things that's really a small amount. Some blogs have literally thousands of posts and thousands of readers. For me though, 50 posts is pretty exciting.
I guess this will be more of a brainstorming post though. If you have any thoughts on any of this or suggestions please leave them in the comment section below.
So here is where I am at with my thoughts. For one I don't really know what I want to do with this blog in the future. I have been thinking about a few things. I do want to get a website going for a photography portfolio. When I do that this blog will be moved to that site. This is something I have been chewing on for a while and I think I know what I am going to do. That being said, it won't be for a while still. When I finally do it though I will be sure to update everyone with the new blog url.
At the end of the day this blog is a personal project. I like having personal projects, stuff that keeps me working towards a goal. Personal projects keep my mind going and challenges me creatively or as a person in general. I think these projects are important for everyone even if they are not creative projects. They are things we do for ourselves, not to get paid or to do really anything with. Sometimes though, at least in the creative world, those personal projects can open up other doors you would have otherwise never seen before. But a personal project is just that, something personal and dear to yourself.
On the topic of personal projects, other than this blog I really haven't had one since my Japan trip. I really don't have the time for one. Personal projects take a lot of time and effort. You can end up spending a lifetime on a single personal project. That's just the nature of the beast. I don't like not having an ongoing personal project and so I have been milling around for things to do.
It's pretty embarrassing to admit that I don't have an actual portfolio to show for my work. My photos have been so far spread and differing because I like to try to be a well rounded photographer. True, my favorite type of photography is photo journalism and street photography, but I try to stray away from being stuck on any one type of photography. If you have ever read Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" then you would understand why I feel that way. This is good except that I have no portfolio. So I think my next personal project will be something that fills up a portfolio and works towards my goal of moving this blog to it's own site.
Anyways what I am trying to say here is, be looking for a new personal project from me soon. If you are into that sort of thing then check back here every once in a while. Aside from that, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the blog please let me know. I really would like to reach post 100 and beyond if I can. It's fun, you know?
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Photo Basics: ISO
I realize these are probably my least read posts of all, but I would like to continue with my "photo basics" posts in the event that someone does find them useful and just isn't speaking up. I have many readers on this blog who, for whatever reason, have never left a comment. Or if someone finds these posts in the future and it helps them then I think it is worth it. For those of you who find these useful, thank you for patiently waiting for another. I put a hold on these posts for a while when I was abroad and just didn't get back into doing them afterwards.
Let's jump into it. ISO. What is it? Why is it? Who is it? How does it taste? And so on. Perhaps I can't answer all of those but maybe I can answer some of the questions you have about ISO.
When film was the only medium to shoot on there was a rating on each different film roll called an ASA rating. Lower ASA film needed more light to be properly exposed and not be too dark. These low number film rolls were usually marketed on the box as "for sunny days," or whatever. The higher your ASA, the less light a particular roll of film needed from your scene. This meant the film was more sensitive to light and it also meant more "grain." This grain was little flecks of silver that would show up in the image. So as a general rule, lower ASA less grain good for bright days, higher ASA more grain but better for darker scenes.
But how does that relate to digital photography? We no longer use film, so what do we need to know ASA ratings for? Well you still need to record the information your camera captures onto something. Back in the day this was film, but now film has been replaced by light sensitive digital sensors. Though it isn't film, we still need some way of knowing how sensitive to light that sensor is just like with film. How do we do that?
ISO stands for International Standards Organization. To put it simply these people took ASA ratings, matched them up with different sensor sensitivities and gave the sensors ISO ratings. So in theory 100 ASA = 100 ISO. This isn't exactly true but as a very crude generalization, that's good enough. So in turn this also means that the lower the ISO, the more light the sensor needs, and the higher the ISO the less it needs. But unlike with film grain, we get something a little bit different in digital sensors called "noise" as we change our sensors sensitivity higher.
This "digital noise" happens to all electronics as you push them further and further. For the sake of simplicity I won't explain that much in detail but if you'd like to know more (and you're a nerd like me) there are tons of sites explaining all the small details of how digital noise is introduced into electronics. Digital noise doesn't quite look like film grain though because digital noise shows up as random specs of color throughout the image, mostly in darker areas of the photo. Photographers can kind of bend reality to make it look close to film grain, but in the end grain is grain and noise is noise. At the end of the day just remember that higher ISOs have a lot of noise and unlike film grain, it doesn't look as nice.
Some cameras handle this noise better than others. Older cameras or cheaper ones will have a
whole lot of noise at, say, 1000 ISO, but a newer or more expensive camera may not have any at all. Many other factors play into how much noise comes in at higher ISOs like sensor size, megapixel count, in camera processing, lighting, sensor manufacturer and so on. But really don't bother yourself with all of that. Generally all cameras are fairly good in low light at this point but some are better than others. Technology has come a long way in terms of ISO. On the right I have two examples of differently priced cameras from two different eras but at the same ISO. It's hard to tell but the Nikon D5000 doesn't hold up in low light as well. You may need to enlarge them to see what I mean. I'm pretty impressed with the Nikon D5000 though. It still held up quite well proving that older technology shouldn't be completely scrapped just yet.
Some other things to consider when choosing which ISO to use are color and detail. When you go up through the ISO ranges colors start to change a little. Not so much that red becomes blue, but what you thought was bright orange may not be so vibrant as you climb to higher ISOs. Again, the difference is subtle, but sometimes it makes all the difference. Detail also takes a hit at higher ISOs. If an image is cluttered with digital noise, hard edges become softer. In my opinion (as with anything on this blog) I think it is best to shoot at the lowest ISO possible for the amount of light available and the image I am trying to capture.
If you have read my other photo basics posts then you will know that aperture and shutter speed go hand in hand when properly exposing an image. Now you must also think about ISO. In a future post I will put all three together and explain how each one effects the other.
Here are some examples of what different ISO's do. Keep an eye on two things as you look through each image. One: the black box and shadow area to the right of the motorcycle helmet. Here is where you will see the digital noise the most. Two: the color of the chair. Watch as it changes ever so slightly as I climb the ISO ranges. No editing was done to these images. I merely took the RAW files straight from the camera and converted them to JPEG for this blog.
Let's jump into it. ISO. What is it? Why is it? Who is it? How does it taste? And so on. Perhaps I can't answer all of those but maybe I can answer some of the questions you have about ISO.
When film was the only medium to shoot on there was a rating on each different film roll called an ASA rating. Lower ASA film needed more light to be properly exposed and not be too dark. These low number film rolls were usually marketed on the box as "for sunny days," or whatever. The higher your ASA, the less light a particular roll of film needed from your scene. This meant the film was more sensitive to light and it also meant more "grain." This grain was little flecks of silver that would show up in the image. So as a general rule, lower ASA less grain good for bright days, higher ASA more grain but better for darker scenes.
But how does that relate to digital photography? We no longer use film, so what do we need to know ASA ratings for? Well you still need to record the information your camera captures onto something. Back in the day this was film, but now film has been replaced by light sensitive digital sensors. Though it isn't film, we still need some way of knowing how sensitive to light that sensor is just like with film. How do we do that?
ISO stands for International Standards Organization. To put it simply these people took ASA ratings, matched them up with different sensor sensitivities and gave the sensors ISO ratings. So in theory 100 ASA = 100 ISO. This isn't exactly true but as a very crude generalization, that's good enough. So in turn this also means that the lower the ISO, the more light the sensor needs, and the higher the ISO the less it needs. But unlike with film grain, we get something a little bit different in digital sensors called "noise" as we change our sensors sensitivity higher.
This "digital noise" happens to all electronics as you push them further and further. For the sake of simplicity I won't explain that much in detail but if you'd like to know more (and you're a nerd like me) there are tons of sites explaining all the small details of how digital noise is introduced into electronics. Digital noise doesn't quite look like film grain though because digital noise shows up as random specs of color throughout the image, mostly in darker areas of the photo. Photographers can kind of bend reality to make it look close to film grain, but in the end grain is grain and noise is noise. At the end of the day just remember that higher ISOs have a lot of noise and unlike film grain, it doesn't look as nice.
 |
| Nikon D610 at 3200 ISO |
 |
| Nikon D5000 at 3200 ISO cheaper/older camera |
Some other things to consider when choosing which ISO to use are color and detail. When you go up through the ISO ranges colors start to change a little. Not so much that red becomes blue, but what you thought was bright orange may not be so vibrant as you climb to higher ISOs. Again, the difference is subtle, but sometimes it makes all the difference. Detail also takes a hit at higher ISOs. If an image is cluttered with digital noise, hard edges become softer. In my opinion (as with anything on this blog) I think it is best to shoot at the lowest ISO possible for the amount of light available and the image I am trying to capture.
If you have read my other photo basics posts then you will know that aperture and shutter speed go hand in hand when properly exposing an image. Now you must also think about ISO. In a future post I will put all three together and explain how each one effects the other.
Here are some examples of what different ISO's do. Keep an eye on two things as you look through each image. One: the black box and shadow area to the right of the motorcycle helmet. Here is where you will see the digital noise the most. Two: the color of the chair. Watch as it changes ever so slightly as I climb the ISO ranges. No editing was done to these images. I merely took the RAW files straight from the camera and converted them to JPEG for this blog.
 |
| Nikon D610 100 ISO |
 |
| Nikon D610 200 ISO |
 |
| Nikon D610 400 ISO |
 |
| Nikon D610 1600 ISO |
 |
| Nikon D610 25600 ISO (looks like a dumb instagram filter) |
Anyways guys I hope this helped. If you have any questions, feedback, suggestions, or anything else, please leave a comment. I read them all.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Nikon D750; Am I Regretting the D610?
I have recently bought the D610. A full frame 24.3mp camera that fixed a few issues people were having with the D600. It shoots 6 frames per second, great performance at high ISO, records 1080p video, is relatively small, the list goes on and on. In simple terms, it does everything I really need it to do while still being small enough to do the kind of candid photography I like to do. I don't really ever see myself going to a professional body simply because of the size alone.
This all comes at a price difference from the D610 of about $400. So am I crying myself to sleep every night that I bought the D610?... Absolutely not and here is my lengthy explanation why...
Then come the announcement of the D750 literally a month after I buy the D610. So what do I think? Should I have waited? First let's take a look at the specs. A full list can be found here but I will run down a few of the major specs that stood out to me.
This Nikon D750 will include:
- 24.3MP full frame CMOS sensor
- 6.5fps
- 1080p @ 60,50,30,25,24 fps
- A tilting LCD screen
- Built-in wifi
- Lower weight/thinner profile
- 1/4000 max shutter speed
- 51 point auto focus
- Powered aperture while recording video
- +more stuff
It's the same thing!(lengthy)
If you know anything about the specs of the Nikon D610, this new D750 has very little differentiating the two systems. If anything this new body should have been the Nikon "D650" or something. It is not a full upgrade at all.
No doubt this camera will be amazing, I would be foolish to say that it won't be,
but a full upgrade from the D610? Really the only reason I would ever grab the D750 over the 610 would be for the better auto focus (the D610's auto focus is infamously ridiculous but you learn to work with it) and the powered aperture in video mode. Even the lighter weight wouldn't be a factor for me as the D610's weight is comfortable. Oh and come on, that tilting screen? Even the D5000 had a better tilting screen because it could also rotate even though it was utterly useless on a tripod. The D750 screen tilts up...and down... The inner college girl in my brain is screaming, "#Gimmick #partytrick omg for realz Nikon?"
but a full upgrade from the D610? Really the only reason I would ever grab the D750 over the 610 would be for the better auto focus (the D610's auto focus is infamously ridiculous but you learn to work with it) and the powered aperture in video mode. Even the lighter weight wouldn't be a factor for me as the D610's weight is comfortable. Oh and come on, that tilting screen? Even the D5000 had a better tilting screen because it could also rotate even though it was utterly useless on a tripod. The D750 screen tilts up...and down... The inner college girl in my brain is screaming, "#Gimmick #partytrick omg for realz Nikon?"
So some of you may be saying, "But Alex! Built in wi-fi!" and I say, "No please keep that crap away." Yes, I do see the benefits to built in wi-fi. Yes I see how convenient it can be and how wonderfully glorified it is. But when I think about it, that's actually kind of dangerous for casual shooters and, say, a working journalist alike. Not too long ago I read a story about a guy who followed random young girls on instagram (or twitter) and just through their constant uploading of photos alone, he was able to track them down and identify them in a public place. Fortunately he was doing it to prove a point and not to harm them. Apply that same scenario to a journalist working in an area he/she may not be the safest in. Perhaps said journalist forgot to turn off the wifi function or something? Perhaps something like that sounds far fetched but if you are documenting a war torn area, do you really want the people with guns knowing where you are going so that you can spread the word of their crimes? I'd rather not take the chance.
Again, these may be extreme examples, but to me it turns me off of wi-fi connected DSLRs. Besides, I really don't want to post unedited RAW files to the internet and I would rather be focused on shooting than uploading to instagram.
Anyways, my final thoughts on the D750 are as follows... It's really kind of the same thing as the D610. The only real improvement (on paper of course, I have never used one so take that for what you will) for me would be the improved auto focus. Some of the other things are just nice to haves. But is a better auto focus worth $400 to me? No... no not really.
(Edit: I would like to point out that a FULLY ARTICULATING TOUCH SCREEN is something that is terribly needed on ALL DSLRs, including professional systems. The lack of such a screen is just crazy...in my opinion.)
(Edit: I would like to point out that a FULLY ARTICULATING TOUCH SCREEN is something that is terribly needed on ALL DSLRs, including professional systems. The lack of such a screen is just crazy...in my opinion.)
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Why I Decided to Take a Photography Class
My blog is called "Making a Scene" for a reason. I continuously encourage people to go out and "Make a Scene" for a reason. This blog was intended to be an avenue for my photography. It is something I enjoy doing and I believe I am at least slightly proficient at. When I snap an image, I believe I am making a scene. Of course I talk about other things too because I myself enjoy reading blogs that are diverse. Perhaps that is the wrong way to run a blog, but that's a topic for another discussion.
On this blog I have posted some knowledge on photography basics aimed at teaching people how to use their camera. I have stopped for a bit because I went to Japan but I will be writing more of those posts in the future. Today I went to my second beginners photography class and so the question I would naturally ask someone is, "How can you teach the subject if you are taking the class?" So I will explain and for that we must go back to the 90's!
This is not my first photography class. Middle school is where I became interested in photography. I had seen a film in the 90's about a young guy who documents his odd family using a 35mm film camera. What movie you ask? None other than the movie, "Pecker." For all it's absurdity, the movie really got me interested in photography, and more importantly, photo journalism. I didn't know what it was called at the time, but I knew I liked that he was making images about what happens around him in his life. I was not a rich kid though and when I went to look for a good starting camera, all I saw were 3 and 4 digit numbers. Digital photography was barely taking off in the early 2000s and film cameras were still in very high demand. This meant that film cameras (unlike today) were still relatively expensive, and digital cameras (being new technology) were even more out of my price range.
So I did what I could with what I had. My mom had bought me a weird little Sony camera one Christmas and that is what I had I think all the way through high school. In fact I probably still have it somewhere. Other than that I never would have dreamed I could have picked up a real DSLR but the itch was always in the back of my mind. With that little camera, and later cell phones, I knew I was making pretty cool looking images, but I never really had any formal training.
Fast forward a little bit to high school. Now is my one chance to actually get some formal training in photography. I sign up for my school's photo journalism class and I am excited and ready. But of course, this class was a let-down for a few reasons. Let me begin by saying that the photojournalism teacher was probably one of the sweetest ladies you would have ever met. She and I really got along. For whatever reason she could see more in my photography than even I could and she always encouraged me to do more.
It is very unfortunate that I went to high school in somewhere like my hometown, at least in terms of photography though. In a town where art was rarely ever a high priority, schools allocated less and less funds to the creative classes. As such, my photography class had enough money only for basic point and shoots. A caveat: GEAR DOES NOT MAKE THE PHOTOGRAPHER. But what point and shoots do not allow you to do is learn. Point and shoots are great for snapshots or for learning things like composition, but for anyone seriously wishing to learn, a point and shoot cannot give you the control you need. So I was stuck reading theory from a text book and never being able to practice that theory.
But that isn't the only reason this class was a let down. As I stated before, the town I grew up in did not have a very strong artistic culture. Not much art comes from there. There are great works of art which have come from my home town, but it is not really known to be a hub of artistic talent. Because of this, the general attitude towards creativity was muted at best and discouraged more often. Those of my peers who were taking the class were simply taking the class for an easy A. Trying to concentrate and be creative in an environment like that was incredibly difficult.
With all that said, I learned next to nothing. A few nuggets of theory stuck in my brain but it would have been just the same had I not taken the class. It wasn't until after high school that I really started picking up photography. By this time DSLRs had dropped dramatically in price, especially used ones, and information was all over the internet. Plus I had my own job and could afford to buy what I needed to learn. As soon as I realized I could learn photography myself I was a glutton for information much as I am for any other topic I am interested in. (I read a lot.)
This is where I explain why I am taking a beginner photography class even though I have already been paid for my photography. (Kind of backwards right?) The first reason is quite simple. Just like a native Chinese speaker taking a beginning Mandarin class, I simply wanted an easy A. But beyond that I don't think it is ever safe to say you are completely the best at anything you have learned. Think about it, if that were true, then innovation would be stuck at the invention of the wheel. But instead because someone learned how to make a wheel (perhaps from the inventor) that person then went on to learn more about it ultimately ending up in your Toyota Prius today. All because someone said, "Yeah, I know all about this wheel, but I want to learn more about it." There are always things you don't know and things you didn't know you didn't know. For that reason I am filling in the gaps in my knowledge in this class. Perhaps I will come away with no new knowledge, but how will I know if I never took a class? Even if this class improves my photography by only 1%, it was well worth it. My last reason for taking the class is structured assignments and breaking me out of my photography comfort zone. I will be forced to do things like studio work which I learned to loathe. But I am now looking forward to it just to get the rust out of those particular set of gears in my creativity.
So to sum this all up, I am taking a photography class as a nice little refresher. This is not my major in school (bless the poor souls who are going for art degrees) my major is actually computer science. But it is something I plan to continue doing professionally or semi-professionally in the future along side my other career goals. Beyond that I just simply enjoy it. I enjoy writing my blog, I enjoy teaching about photography where I can, and I enjoy making a scene for you, my readers, about the things I see. This should be as much of an adventure for you as it is for me.
On this blog I have posted some knowledge on photography basics aimed at teaching people how to use their camera. I have stopped for a bit because I went to Japan but I will be writing more of those posts in the future. Today I went to my second beginners photography class and so the question I would naturally ask someone is, "How can you teach the subject if you are taking the class?" So I will explain and for that we must go back to the 90's! This is not my first photography class. Middle school is where I became interested in photography. I had seen a film in the 90's about a young guy who documents his odd family using a 35mm film camera. What movie you ask? None other than the movie, "Pecker." For all it's absurdity, the movie really got me interested in photography, and more importantly, photo journalism. I didn't know what it was called at the time, but I knew I liked that he was making images about what happens around him in his life. I was not a rich kid though and when I went to look for a good starting camera, all I saw were 3 and 4 digit numbers. Digital photography was barely taking off in the early 2000s and film cameras were still in very high demand. This meant that film cameras (unlike today) were still relatively expensive, and digital cameras (being new technology) were even more out of my price range.
So I did what I could with what I had. My mom had bought me a weird little Sony camera one Christmas and that is what I had I think all the way through high school. In fact I probably still have it somewhere. Other than that I never would have dreamed I could have picked up a real DSLR but the itch was always in the back of my mind. With that little camera, and later cell phones, I knew I was making pretty cool looking images, but I never really had any formal training.
Fast forward a little bit to high school. Now is my one chance to actually get some formal training in photography. I sign up for my school's photo journalism class and I am excited and ready. But of course, this class was a let-down for a few reasons. Let me begin by saying that the photojournalism teacher was probably one of the sweetest ladies you would have ever met. She and I really got along. For whatever reason she could see more in my photography than even I could and she always encouraged me to do more.
It is very unfortunate that I went to high school in somewhere like my hometown, at least in terms of photography though. In a town where art was rarely ever a high priority, schools allocated less and less funds to the creative classes. As such, my photography class had enough money only for basic point and shoots. A caveat: GEAR DOES NOT MAKE THE PHOTOGRAPHER. But what point and shoots do not allow you to do is learn. Point and shoots are great for snapshots or for learning things like composition, but for anyone seriously wishing to learn, a point and shoot cannot give you the control you need. So I was stuck reading theory from a text book and never being able to practice that theory.
But that isn't the only reason this class was a let down. As I stated before, the town I grew up in did not have a very strong artistic culture. Not much art comes from there. There are great works of art which have come from my home town, but it is not really known to be a hub of artistic talent. Because of this, the general attitude towards creativity was muted at best and discouraged more often. Those of my peers who were taking the class were simply taking the class for an easy A. Trying to concentrate and be creative in an environment like that was incredibly difficult.
With all that said, I learned next to nothing. A few nuggets of theory stuck in my brain but it would have been just the same had I not taken the class. It wasn't until after high school that I really started picking up photography. By this time DSLRs had dropped dramatically in price, especially used ones, and information was all over the internet. Plus I had my own job and could afford to buy what I needed to learn. As soon as I realized I could learn photography myself I was a glutton for information much as I am for any other topic I am interested in. (I read a lot.)
This is where I explain why I am taking a beginner photography class even though I have already been paid for my photography. (Kind of backwards right?) The first reason is quite simple. Just like a native Chinese speaker taking a beginning Mandarin class, I simply wanted an easy A. But beyond that I don't think it is ever safe to say you are completely the best at anything you have learned. Think about it, if that were true, then innovation would be stuck at the invention of the wheel. But instead because someone learned how to make a wheel (perhaps from the inventor) that person then went on to learn more about it ultimately ending up in your Toyota Prius today. All because someone said, "Yeah, I know all about this wheel, but I want to learn more about it." There are always things you don't know and things you didn't know you didn't know. For that reason I am filling in the gaps in my knowledge in this class. Perhaps I will come away with no new knowledge, but how will I know if I never took a class? Even if this class improves my photography by only 1%, it was well worth it. My last reason for taking the class is structured assignments and breaking me out of my photography comfort zone. I will be forced to do things like studio work which I learned to loathe. But I am now looking forward to it just to get the rust out of those particular set of gears in my creativity.
So to sum this all up, I am taking a photography class as a nice little refresher. This is not my major in school (bless the poor souls who are going for art degrees) my major is actually computer science. But it is something I plan to continue doing professionally or semi-professionally in the future along side my other career goals. Beyond that I just simply enjoy it. I enjoy writing my blog, I enjoy teaching about photography where I can, and I enjoy making a scene for you, my readers, about the things I see. This should be as much of an adventure for you as it is for me.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Overachieving and Being a Bad Blogger
Hello everyone and allow me to start by saying I have been a bad blogger. It has been two weeks since my last post and I have made it a point to try and post at least once a week all the way up until now. (I think I may have skipped a week before. Oops.) All I can say is things have been hectic but I have not given up blogging. I thoroughly enjoy having a blog and plan to keep it going for as long as I possibly can.
I am, for better or worse, a college student and needless to say I have been gearing up to get back into the grind which comes in the form of Fall semester. For those of you who are barely starting your first semester, congratulations. Are you excited? For those of you returning, you know exactly how foolish that excitement is.
I don't necessarily hate school. But you must admit that this generation of collegiates has an understandably hard time seeing the value of a college degree. With tuition prices inflating year after year and books costing on average from $100 to $400 per book, the amount of debt just doesn't seem to justify the benefit most of the time. No one can deny the power of a degree but more and more that power seems to be waning.
This post isn't about all that though. Instead I have a story to tell as I so often do.
So I have just transferred to a university. To me this means two things. One is more expenses for classes and the other is having to learn a whole new school and system all over again. I really hate logistical stuff. I am just so bad at it and it confuses me. So knowing all that I decided it would be a good idea to go a few hours early, do a walk-through of the campus to find my classes, finish up all the last minute logistics, and then get into class comfortably early. I absolutely hate to be late to ANYTHING and you will rarely ever catch me running late. I have a motto I live by, "I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late" and that's the way I live my life.
In staying true with that motto I found myself on campus a full three hours early. Or at least I thought. In that three hours I got to walk to all my classes, explore a few neat looking areas, obtain my school ID, eat breakfast, then with an hour and a half left until my first class, sit patiently for it to begin.
Thirty minutes before my class is to begin I start noticing something odd. In these three hours I have seen very little of the student body... "I guess no one really likes morning classes." I thought to myself. But then I notice absolutely no one has walked into the auditorium where my class is being held. In fact no one but me is even anywhere remotely near it. The few people I have seen all walked straight past it.
Wondering if perhaps the class had been moved or cancelled for some reason I go and try to enter the auditorium. I put my hands on the cool metal door knobs and pull. Sadly to no avail. Locked. I look around for a sign announcing where it has been moved to and I find nothing. Now my mind starts running. Did I mention I HATE to be late? If I had missed a memo about the class I was sure to be late or damn close. Thankfully across from the auditorium sat a cheerful looking young lady in an office for something or another, so I gladly went over to ask, "If my schedule says, 'room number' it's that auditorium over there right? It's not some room next to it or something?" The very insightful lady gladly assured me that I was indeed waiting for the correct room. So then why was it not open? My next question was, "So do you know more or less when they will open it?" She looks at me and says, "Oh probably on the 27th(two days from now) when classes start."
I could have slapped myself right there. I was not, as I thought, 3 hours early, but instead a full two days early! How's that for overachieving? In a desperate attempt to save face I said, "Oh yeah I guess so. Alright thanks, just wanted to know." As if I knew that all along but wanted to see the auditorium before hand... I felt like such a dumb ass. It was the community college that started on Monday and NOT the university.
So the moral of the story?
Look at your stupid schedule...
I am, for better or worse, a college student and needless to say I have been gearing up to get back into the grind which comes in the form of Fall semester. For those of you who are barely starting your first semester, congratulations. Are you excited? For those of you returning, you know exactly how foolish that excitement is.
I don't necessarily hate school. But you must admit that this generation of collegiates has an understandably hard time seeing the value of a college degree. With tuition prices inflating year after year and books costing on average from $100 to $400 per book, the amount of debt just doesn't seem to justify the benefit most of the time. No one can deny the power of a degree but more and more that power seems to be waning.
This post isn't about all that though. Instead I have a story to tell as I so often do.
So I have just transferred to a university. To me this means two things. One is more expenses for classes and the other is having to learn a whole new school and system all over again. I really hate logistical stuff. I am just so bad at it and it confuses me. So knowing all that I decided it would be a good idea to go a few hours early, do a walk-through of the campus to find my classes, finish up all the last minute logistics, and then get into class comfortably early. I absolutely hate to be late to ANYTHING and you will rarely ever catch me running late. I have a motto I live by, "I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late" and that's the way I live my life.
In staying true with that motto I found myself on campus a full three hours early. Or at least I thought. In that three hours I got to walk to all my classes, explore a few neat looking areas, obtain my school ID, eat breakfast, then with an hour and a half left until my first class, sit patiently for it to begin.
Thirty minutes before my class is to begin I start noticing something odd. In these three hours I have seen very little of the student body... "I guess no one really likes morning classes." I thought to myself. But then I notice absolutely no one has walked into the auditorium where my class is being held. In fact no one but me is even anywhere remotely near it. The few people I have seen all walked straight past it.
Wondering if perhaps the class had been moved or cancelled for some reason I go and try to enter the auditorium. I put my hands on the cool metal door knobs and pull. Sadly to no avail. Locked. I look around for a sign announcing where it has been moved to and I find nothing. Now my mind starts running. Did I mention I HATE to be late? If I had missed a memo about the class I was sure to be late or damn close. Thankfully across from the auditorium sat a cheerful looking young lady in an office for something or another, so I gladly went over to ask, "If my schedule says, 'room number' it's that auditorium over there right? It's not some room next to it or something?" The very insightful lady gladly assured me that I was indeed waiting for the correct room. So then why was it not open? My next question was, "So do you know more or less when they will open it?" She looks at me and says, "Oh probably on the 27th(two days from now) when classes start."
I could have slapped myself right there. I was not, as I thought, 3 hours early, but instead a full two days early! How's that for overachieving? In a desperate attempt to save face I said, "Oh yeah I guess so. Alright thanks, just wanted to know." As if I knew that all along but wanted to see the auditorium before hand... I felt like such a dumb ass. It was the community college that started on Monday and NOT the university.
So the moral of the story?
Look at your stupid schedule...
Monday, August 4, 2014
FYI Other Blogs
Hey guys.
I am a blogger. I like to blog. I like to write, record, and ultimately document my thoughts, feelings, and experiences to share with whomever may stumble across them in the future.
However, I am not the end all be all to blogs. As a matter of fact, I blog because I enjoy reading and watching blogs myself. So what I want to do for you all is point you in the direction of some of my favorite bloggers and vloggers. Take a look through this list of some of my favorite blogs that I keep up with on a daily basis. Some of these guys and gals are awesome and you will be happy you checked them out.
I will be setting this up by category. Many of these people have both a written blog and a YouTube vlog. I will link to one or the other but be sure to check out both.
Japan
Anyone interested in Japan, or who may be traveling there in the future should take a look at some of these blogs.
Photography
These are for people interested in photography gear, techniques, and so on.
For those who enjoy a moving picture.
Some awesome Travel blogs for you guys.
I'm a thinker, it's what I like to do, and I am incredibly curious. For anyone else who is a nerd... here ya go.
I suppose that's a pretty good list for now. I know I have forgotten so many other blogs that I read and watch but this is a good start for anyone interested. Check any and all of these people out. They are all very good blogs and deserve to be seen. Then, of course, check back here for more of my blogs!
EDIT: I forgot to mention Kyde and Eric They are an American couple who live in Japan now but have been traveling around the world and recording videos. Theirs is very high on my list of favorite travel vlogs.
I am a blogger. I like to blog. I like to write, record, and ultimately document my thoughts, feelings, and experiences to share with whomever may stumble across them in the future.
However, I am not the end all be all to blogs. As a matter of fact, I blog because I enjoy reading and watching blogs myself. So what I want to do for you all is point you in the direction of some of my favorite bloggers and vloggers. Take a look through this list of some of my favorite blogs that I keep up with on a daily basis. Some of these guys and gals are awesome and you will be happy you checked them out.
I will be setting this up by category. Many of these people have both a written blog and a YouTube vlog. I will link to one or the other but be sure to check out both.
Japan
Anyone interested in Japan, or who may be traveling there in the future should take a look at some of these blogs.
- Gimmeabreakman This guy is the "godfather" of the Jvlogging community. He is really funny and even teaches some Japanese. He owns his own English school in Japan and has been living there for like...half my life or longer. He also has another channel called Gimmeaflakeman.
- TokyoCooney I have mentioned this guy before in my videos. He is the first Jvlogger I had ever watched and he is hilarious... I'm serious. Many sleepless nights were spent watching his videos and laughing uncontrollably. I have linked you to one of my favorite videos of his, but look at the rest. Unfortunately he is not uploading anymore but promises a return some day. His blog is also here
- Sharla in Japan A very informative and light feeling blog from a Canadian. Canadians always feel light hearted don't they? It also helps that she's cute!
- Kazuko from Japan A pretty Japanese girl who does sort of social experiment videos in a fun way.
- Unrested A Jvlogger from Osaka who doesn't seem like it, but is just as much of a nerd as I am! He is also an artist for many table top role playing games. My favorite kind of RPG.
- jlandkev/busankevin Another Canadian living in Japan who tends to blog about the more mundane things in Japan which is a good thing. It gives a more realistic feeling to his blog. He also has a really well done podcast!
- hikosaemon Another long term expat who does a lot of longer form videos and a lot of videos with gimmeabreakman. One thing I like about him is he has a lot of subscribers and really tries his best to interact with them every day.
- Higgins In Japan In my opinion a vlogger that does not get as many views as deserved.
- Caleb and Rainfall Review Game reviews and funny stories. I linked to an older video of his because I think the story is funny but if you don't like his format in this video he has changed it quite a bit.
- Rachel and Jun These two give a very interesting perspective in their blog from the point of view of an international(is that the right word?) married couple.
- Abroad in Japan I can't even describe how funny this guy is... Really... You have no idea.
Photography
These are for people interested in photography gear, techniques, and so on.
- FroKnowsPhoto A successful photographer who shares all of his secrets.
- Matt Granger An Aussie photographer who also has a lot of interesting stuff to say on the topic of photography and I am in love with his assistant Tina.
- DigitalRevTV Although technically they are a camera store based in Hong Kong, they put out videos showcasing newly released gear. These guys are incredibly funny. I am also in love with their ex co-host Alamby and I am deeply distraught that she has since left the channel.(To Alamby only because no one else can see this: Please marry me...)
- TheCameraStoreTV Another awesome gear review channel and photography store.
- Chase Jarvis A photographer that does some really amazing work.
For those who enjoy a moving picture.
- Phillip Bloom I only wish I could produce the kind of videos he does. Amazingly beautiful films.
- Basic Filmmaker A funny guy and great tips for video. He does his best to, and succeeds in, interacting with his audience.
Some awesome Travel blogs for you guys.
- Migrationology An awesome food and travel expert Mark Wiens eats everything from the most outlandish, to the most mouthwatering. He's also just an amazingly good blogger.
- The Taiwan Adventure An expat missionary in Taiwan, this blog is amazingly interesting and well rounded. This blog is a big part of why I started mine. Go back to his earlier blog posts and start from there, you'll thank me.
I'm a thinker, it's what I like to do, and I am incredibly curious. For anyone else who is a nerd... here ya go.
- Vsauce This vlog presents science in a very forward thinking, "what if?" sort of way.
- Veritasium This guy teaches Science with questions. Something I like about him is that he values the mistakes we see as "common knowledge," and sees those mistakes as a new way to learn.
- numberphile I really don't want to downplay this channel but this is really only a channel for people who, like me, enjoy thinking about math as more than what they teach you in school.
I suppose that's a pretty good list for now. I know I have forgotten so many other blogs that I read and watch but this is a good start for anyone interested. Check any and all of these people out. They are all very good blogs and deserve to be seen. Then, of course, check back here for more of my blogs!
EDIT: I forgot to mention Kyde and Eric They are an American couple who live in Japan now but have been traveling around the world and recording videos. Theirs is very high on my list of favorite travel vlogs.
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