December 13, 2006

• "If you think nobody cares if you're alive, here's something to try: try missing a couple of car payments."
  - Larry King

  I decided to burn the last 8 hours looking at pictures and found a couple of good ones. For a quick look, this Xangan was featured on National Geographic's website. I have a new goal.

  But... I'm thrilled with how things are going in the concert photography department. The Buskers! Soak in the pics...

  
  
   

  Then consider that there were 5 people in the audience! Boo! A scheduling mishap but they played anyways, with 10% of the usual crowd. But we were loud! They'll be in action again at Linneman's this Thursday night. =)

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  Check this out!

  There are clearly people who take picture taking to a whole new level. This guy is one of them - I found him as I was researching high-speed photography. For examples, Flickr has a whole group. At any rate, I was reading on this guy's website about what he was doing with his camera and his whole setup where he has a sensor that detects insects crossing a pre-focused point and triggers the photograph. But he kept barely missing them because the camera has a delay of 0.112 seconds (virtually instant) so he goes on to make this intricate custom shutter that cut the delay to .0062 seconds - 95% less time! But it was fascinating to read the literally 10 pages of detail that someone translated from his native Belgian into English in this incredible narative about something he so clearly cares so much about. Honestly, he strikes me as someone who would be weird in person, but he's brilliant nonetheless. Anyways, don't listen to me, look at some of the pictures! He has incredible pictures where he uses a loudspeaker to make colored water jump. To look at his detailed schematics to use different frequencies for different shapes blows my mind. Here's his website with his background.

  A long time ago, I realized that I'm not someone who will make some kind of tremendous breakthrough in a field. I don't have the patience and focus and, well, intelligence to be an Einstein for even a Fotoopa! I'm a better candidate for Renaissance man territory within the next 75 years because I do have a lot of different maven interests, which is fine with me. It's kind of fitting that both my academic fields of study are pretty unrelated too. But it doesn't bode well for a PhD. Barring a unique combination of my interests, a PhD program would probably suck me dry because I prefer to spend time in different things instead of strictly one area - plus research would tan my hide. The way things are going, I'll probably forever be working full-time with multiple other ventures, always taking pictures, and close to academia. Speaking of which, I should find a Spanish class or something to sign up for soon.

  National Parks photography contest

  Pretty sweet photography seminar - Christmas present idea!

  btw - there are some less expensive things on my Wishlist. =) Mom, please see click. Pssst, if you could pay me back for when you used my debit card overseas, that'd be awesome!
  

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  Somebody had a b-day!

  

  ^^ Pete is one handsome man. And he just had his 26th b-day! He is my Xanga parent, and I think you should thank/question him for introducing me. i.e. "Pete! Happy birthday! What were you thinking!?" would be perfectly appropriate, methinks. Clicky linky!

  

  Here he is downing egg nog! Mentioning that he flows like a harpoon, daily and nightly, is highly recommended.

  

  Oh, and he is luckily married to Amanda, who is quite gorgeous.
  

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  I went to Phoenix this one time...three weeks ago...

  
  Frisky airport goodbyes/Phoenix at night/Kristen at home with her coffee/(one thought)

   
  With polarizer (aahh)/without (eww)/great trees/typical Arizona highway glimpse
  btw...polarized sunglasses can double as polarizers for point & shoots

  
  Pueblo ruins with Kristen//cooking up a peppa/"Untitled Hanging Wine Bottles"

   
  Spicy and purdy/Grand Canyon: pre-dawn/it's huuuge!/on a walk

   
  Walked that middle stripe on the left//mind-boggling/mildly amusing

   
  A Canon? how'd he get here!/*grunts*/*hacks lugey*/my driving glasses

  It was a very fun trip. Kristen generously covered my airfare and extends the invitation to everyone! Having never seen the Grand Canyon, it was quite the experience to wake up before dawn and drive for hours then arrive there and just be overtaken by the beauty and size of it all. Then break into a disagreement over the age of it all but that was half the fun. I missed my flight coming back...I do that a lot... it was 8 hours late on the way there and a couple minutes early on the way back. Go figure. Both ways my 4p and 8p flights ended up leaving after midnight, but it's all part of the game.

  Anyways, I'm thoroughly facebooked and Xanged out. Have a wonderful day. =)

  • 6:12 am
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