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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
What am I?
I took this photo today of a chunk of wood about the size of a footstool, but not a footstool. It has a very specific use. Unlike many of my “What am I?” quizzes, the image Exif data will likely be of no use for this one. What is it?
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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
So Close
Most “street photography” photos I see make me wonder how they survived the cutting room floor, much less were actually chosen for presentation, so it's an understatement to say that I don't really care for it. But, today I found myself in the Roppongi area of Tokyo, and so I spent a while wandering around with the camera taking pictures in isolation, without any connecting story, so I guess today's post is my version of “street photography”.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/3200 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Traffic Control
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Required
apparently, all “street photography” must contain a shot like this
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Walking Miss Poh-Poh
( I don't really know the name of the dog )
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/8000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
This Is Not Strange
in Tokyo
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Urgently Move It, Please”
( that's what the pink tag says )
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stroll With Papa
park behind “Tokyo Midtown”
Like I said, the whole “street photography” thing doesn't really do it for me, so I found myself gravitating to a small park behind the Tokyo Midtown shopping center in Roppongi, the site of the really Really REALLY blue light display from several years ago, which is the last time I was there.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Six Months Old
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Say “Cheese”
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nice Couple
we chatted about cameras for a while
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/5000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
“My Time”
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/6400 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Book Photography in the Park?
These ladies kept taking turns photographing each other holding books. I have no idea why, but when they're that photogenic, I can't really say that I care. The red shoes in the grass are just a bonus.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/4000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Upscale Afternoon
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Five Months Old
just woke up from a nap
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/3200 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Commuting by Bike
you're doing it wrong
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2500 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Come to Mama!!”
he did, and won an energetic, enveloping hug
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Aftermath
of a mass pigeon attack, fended off with a single sock
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/8000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Crow
a particularly boring shot, but this was manual focus, handheld
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pretty White Flower Blossomy Thing
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gardener
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Some People Have No Sense of Humor
when I see the dog's coat, I feel I must be one of them
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Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 290 mm — 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
A Bit of Summer Skiing
Mt Kan'nabe, Toyooka City, Japan
We tried a bit of grass skiing the other day, at a mostly-deserted ski resort in northern Hyogo Prefecture, about three hours away by car. It was a bit of déjà vu for me because like the last time I tried to go skiing in Japan (with a former girlfriend 20 years ago), we found that even if I cut off my toes my feet were way too big for the rental boots, so I couldn't do it. That time, I spent the day in the lodge while others skied, but the next day we did an activity that I could participate in: paragliding. And the biggest déjà vu came when I realized that the paragliding place could well have been this exact same location, as paragliding was going on as well as the grass skiing.
This time, though, I was just as happy to not have skis because then I could take photos more freely, and could better assist Anthony. He's gone snow skiing twice (here and here) but it's been a while.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Equipment Rental
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Grass Skis
This is, of course, the answer to the Red, Green, and Black “What am I?” Quiz from the other day, that stumped no one. I'd never seen grass skis before, but apparently I'm in the minority.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Preparation
The day was hazy with the yellow sand blowing in from China that I mentioned yesterday. As nice as it made the mountain view at dusk, it made for fairly flat, boring lighting during the day. Didn't stop me from getting a mild sunburn, though.
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — 1/800 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Locked In
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Basic Instruction
I always have a difficult time capturing heights and slopes in photos... the hill behind them in the photo above (actually the remains of an old volcano) is tall and steep, but it really doesn't show. People would ski it in the winter, but you'd have to be pretty adventurous to use grass skis there.
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/4.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
First Tentative Steps
so to speak
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 78 mm — 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Seems Fun Enough
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1/2500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
A Bit Wobbly
because I was running backwards, ready to catch him if control got away from him
He didn't get all that much speed the first time, but enough that he got scared, so I had to scoop him up to stop him, but that was the only time I had to help.
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240 mm — 1/800 sec, f/6, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pausing for a Rest
making your way up the slope was tough work
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 140 mm — 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Goes Again
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58 mm — 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mommy is Way Up There
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — 1/800 sec, f/8, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pretty Much Like Snow Skiing
except with a more-upright posture
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240 mm — 1/1250 sec, f/6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Her First Longish Run
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — 1/800 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ta Da!
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Set Up for a Long Run
Nikon D700 + Sigma 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm, cropped — 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Thumbs Up
ready to go!
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 140 mm — 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Up For One More Run
This was at the bottom of an old, long-extinct volcano. After the skiing, we went to explore it a bit more, which turned into quite the adventure.
To be continued...
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Scott Kelby's marketing skill continue to amaze me.
I posted the other day in “The Amazing Marketing Power of Scott Kelby” that I was disappointed in Scott Kelby for hyping a product close to him in a blatantly dishonest fashion. It seems that he responded to the tsunami of criticism a few days later in a video on one of his sites, KelbyTV, where, around 10 minutes into the show, he addresses the issue.
He says...
This is shockingly dishonest.... the “went and did it” has nothing to do with the context he set up. Folks saying “We wish we didn't have to go to Photoshop” are not asking for an external application with a different name.
But Scott is apparently the master of spin because he has he balls to completely switch gears from the very question he introduced (solving the biggest complaint he hears from Lightroom users) to the unrelated discussion of who might want to buy the product he was hyping.
Just amazing. I am in awe.
It's as if he said...
... and then you find that “did it” really means that they now have “garbage bags” instead of “trash bags” that husbands have to haul to the street. You still have to leave the house. The problem initially posed is not at all addressed, though he made it seem so to those who trusted him. And then when you point this out, that he's been so disingenuous as to be dishonest, he rolls his eyes to the delight of his fandom and fires back with “If you don't want garbage bags, don't buy them! Duh!”
That's his real marketing genius, shifting focus to the unrelated criticism about the product being overpriced and underfeatured, because it allows him to respond with the completely reasonable “if you don't want it, don't buy it”. With attention now on this tangential issue, he conveniently ignores the whole question of whether he was honest in the first place.
In the video, he then went on to read one of the critical comments that someone left on his blog, but does it in a belittling fashion, making fun of the English, reminding me of how the “cool” grade-school clique would pick on others on the playground. It was pathetic.
Scott was joined in the video by Adobe's Terry White, who passed up on his opportunity to make things clear, instead also focusing attention on the unrelated “if it's not for you, don't buy it” angle. I'm so very disappointed.
I don't have a vested interest in Scott Kelby or whether people fall for his untruthy self-serving hype, but for me it comes down to a simple “dishonesty sucks”, especially when it comes to someone whose reputation I had previously held in such high regard. I understand now that the high regard must have been due to a lack of attention on my part, but this current situation is one where my technical knowledge allows me to see the dishonesty clearly and immediatley, more so than many photographers at first might, so I feel some obligation to share that knowledge in these blog posts.
Of course, Scott doesn't mention that in response to the initial brewhaha I created a Lightroom plugin that actually does integrate Lightroom images, non-destructively, into layers within Photoshop. To my knowledge he's never mentioned any of my Lightroom plugins, even though they are likely responsible for the majority of plugin installs in existence. He should mention them because it would directly benefit his audience, but I believe he doesn't because he doesn't make any money by mentioning other people's free plugins. Normally I'd think that such a self-serving attitude would result in being shunned to the margins, so it's a true testament to his amazing powers of self marketing that he continues to command attention.
FWIW, here's the transcript starting at 9:58 into the video:
| Scott Kelby: |
So here's the thing, it's a plugin for Lightroom. It gives you pretty much, you know, multiple layers... you can add layers... you can duplicate layers, you got all the blend modes... multiply da da dah... So here's how that thing came about, just so you know. So, OnOne Software was here a few months back and they showed us all the stuff that they're doing in the future and amazing... truly amazing stuff. (show sidetracked momentarily by an unrelated production issue) So, it does this basic layers functionality... they came and they showed us all their new stuff for the future... we were blown out... and then they said “what are you hearing from people... you know, what are people... whatch'r biggest complaint that you hear from people?” that maybe they could solve? And I said "Well, I do a nationwide tour on Lightroom... Matt and I both do, we do this big tour, and the biggest complaint we hear from Lightroom users is we hear one thing. We hear them say “We wish we didn't have to go to Photoshop to do things”. They love Lightroom so much (and so do I) that they want to stay in Lightroom as much as is humanly possible. They want to stay in Lightroom. I understand that. So I told OnOne, if there was a way you could do a layers plugin, right, people... people would love it... if they had a layers plugin. Alright, and so they said "Actually, we already do some kind of layers stuff in our stuff now.. if we made it standalone" I thought that would be great. That would be fantastic. So, they went and did it. They made a plugin. 'Cause here's the thing, and I think that there's a misnomer here. Number one, not everybody that uses Lightroom has Photoshop or Elements. I talk to people every single day that came up from iPhoto and they bought Lightroom. They don't have Elements.... they don't have Photoshop... but they would love to do layers. That's all. So, it's not for everybody, if you have Photoshop... |
| Terry White: | If you have Photoshop, there would be very little reason to use the plugin. |
| Scott Kelby: | Right. I didn't say “This is breaking news for Photoshop users”, I just said, you know, this is, um, this is big news, it's... it's a game changer for everybody that can't afford Photoshop and doesn't want to learn Elements, cause learning Elements is like learning Photoshop. |
| Terry White: | Yeah |
| Scott Kelby: | So and it brings up all kinds of other issues, 'cause it manages photos one way and all kinds of stuff... |
I have no idea what he was trying to communicate in that last sentence, but anyway, he then goes on to belittle the commenter that disagreed with him, but does not in any way address the root of the criticism.
This was the first time that I'd seen Scott in video, though I suspect it will also be the last.
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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/40 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Evening Mist in Rural Japan
( sort of )
We were driving around the very-rural countryside of Toyooka, Japan the other day at dusk, when the beauty of some hills rising out of the mist caught my eye, and I stopped to snap some pictures.
The first picture shows the slightest hint of the sunset glow still remains...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27 mm — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rice Field
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/4, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fading
layers of hills fading into the mist
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Deepening Dusk
I ended up chatting for a while with a farmer preparing his field for rice (it's his white truck in the center of the second photo). By the time I left, it was very dark, but the D700's low-light prowess brightens everything up. The lead photo is the last one I took.
Here's one near the end that I processed in Lightroom to give a feeling that matches the “layered” look that I remembered, but which didn't show up so well in the photos....
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
I sub-captioned the first photo “(sort of)” because while I thought it was an evening mist at the time, I realized today that it was probably kosa, the very fine yellow sand that blows in from China in the spring, turning day into a thick hazy cloud. It was really strong all day today for the drive back, and now that I think about it, the evening “mist” the other day must have been the start of the dust.