Baggage

Like most photographers, I have a bit of an obsession with camera bags. Over the last week or two I've debating over a couple different options to replace my Tamrac Expedition backpack. This backpack is not bad actually, it's got a nice little section for non photo items like snacks, a small book, ipods, etc. But the camera section is now a bit small for my needs. It won't fit my two main pro lenses. My increasing pickiness towards the higher end lenses has further agravated the issue. So it was time to shop.

I've been eyeing the Think Tank Street Walker backpacks for some time, but I wasn't sure which size to get. Tenba also makes a decent backpack, but after ordering one to play with, I found it to be more rugged than I needed. Half the depth of the bag was in the padding and straps. At the moment, I need a bag good for airline travel that'll carry my larger lenses. So the decision then was between the two Think Tank models. While I don't think I could go wrong either way, I'll probably end up keeping the smaller version. The larger pack is close to the size of my largest bag - so it would be rather duplicative. The smaller version offers sufficient room without allowing me to take all my gear - which isn't the goal. Photography isn't typically the primary goal of trips this bag will make. Yet there's still plenty of room for my D300, 24-70, 70-200, 50mm lenses, and a flash. If I can make a great shot with that list, I need a new hobby.

The bag is light weight and should fit under an airline seat with room left over for my feet. It'll be easy to lug around in the airport, and it doesn't scream 'photo bag, steal me!'

iPhone 3Gs First Impressions

After waiting maybe 30 minutes or so, maybe longer, in the ATT store, I finally walked away with my new iPhone. I had the pleasure of getting my phone at the ATT store because I had recently changed my phone number. Doing that apparently reset the upgrade timings, which ATT had to override. Over the ATT employees blamed the slow servers, but I'm not sure that was the whole story... So I was cheated the retail experience that I deserved.

Once I got home, I simply restored my last backup from the old phone to the new phone. This took another half hour and then I let the phone charge for awhile.

The new 3Gs is definitely faster. I just ran a few side by side Safari comparisons with apple.com, nyt.com, and npr.com. While I didn't actually time it, it's probably fair to say the new model is twice as fast.

Probably my favorite new feature is the voice commands. It seems very accurate and has yet to error. The array of commands are quite broad really. I'm wouldn't be surprise to see voice commands to show up in OS X in a similar fashion.

The camera is much improved. Focus and exposure is controlled by touching the desired area of the frame. Very slick. The exposure range is significant in a contrasty frame. The focus has less of an impact. I've yet to play much with the video capture, but it appears quite easy to use.

Stobist Boot Camp II Assignment

I've been reading the Strobist blog for a couple years now - learning a lot! On occasion, he runs assignments and this one was quite fun. The basic challenge was to create a portrait. There was one catch and one request. The catch was that once the model had been photographed, the model was to shoot the photographer - always fun for both parties to break the comfort zone. The request was to offer your photographic services to someone looking for a job in this dismal economy. Otherwise, the assignment was pretty open.

While I wasn't able to photograph a job hunter, I decided to photograph me and Bonnie. Thankfully, we are both employed, in fact, about 8 months ago we took on a new career as parents. And that new job has forced me to be a little more efficient in my photography since free time is just slightly more scarce than it once was.

Here's what I came up with. Note the details in Flickr.

A New Grill

Since grilling is a year round sport in Florida, I decided to invest in a new grill. The old one was showing its age - burners knobs had melted a bit, starter didn't work, and the burners were starting to fall apart.

Anyway, the new one works great! I've cooked steak (wrapped in bacon, thanks to Publix), pork, and some dessert. Yes, dessert! Grilled apples with crumb topping, thanks to the Weber Grill website. It tasted as good as it looks...

Your Tax Dollars at Work...

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Originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream

I guess these guys deserve a little break too...

Pirates!

For a change of pace from all the fancy finance news, check out this Planet Money podcast on piracy (although you do have skip through some of the finance stuff first). They take a purely economic look at the pirate business. All it would take is one small shift in the model (more violence, armed cargo ships, higher insurance premiums) and the whole business falls apart - economically anyway.

Logos

So much for the frequent blogging... Shame on me. The last few days I've been giving some serious thought to stepping up my photography marketing. In fact, I've found a designer to come up with a logo for branding. The designer is actually an old high school friend that I reconnected with on Facebook. Yes Facebook does have some merit, but I still don't need to know what everyone is having for dinner.