One of my favorite things to do is go outside and take pictures of nature and wildlife. Sometimes, though, I don’t feel like staking out a spot to try and get pictures of birds. There’s a whole little world around us that we rarely even notice. Usually when I attach my macro...
Terrible 24′s
posted by Jon
24mm? To ordinary people that measurement means nothing. To Canon gear nerds photographers, that measurement brings one thing to mind – twice. 24mm lenses are not extremely popular. If polled, most photographers would likely say that they use their 50mm, 85mm, ulta-wide...
Pad & Quill
posted by Jon
I am not usually one for super trendy things as most of my friends would likely admit. That said, I do own an iPad. I’ve always used it around the house and I have brought it to work a half dozen times or so. I have never really felt like I had a reason to use it. It’s very...
Bokeh showdown!
posted by Jon
The Canon 50mm ƒ/1.8 II – considered the “best value” lens by many reviewers all over the internet. It is probably the most-owned lens amongst Canon’s offerings because it’s well… cheap. Real cheap. I picked this little guy up to replace the one...
Strollin’
posted by Jon
This afternoon I went out for a stroll because the temperature really cooled off outside. I had put some bird seed out in a couple bird feeders so there have been a ton of birds around the last few days. I managed to snag the shot above. It took me a few laps around the area because as...
Flash! Pow!
posted by Jon
A lot of people hear the term “flash photography” and instantly think of pictures of people with their eyes glowing red and harsh shadows being cast. It’s true – the typical interpretation of flash photography has a bunch of negative associated ideas about it, but that’s because most people are familiar with on-camera flash units and point and shoot flash photography that emits the flash straight out from the camera causing terrible shadows and glowing eyes and reflections and… it’s just bad. It’s unfortunate too that most cameras in their basic settings tend to automatically pop the...
Good enough to eat
posted by Jon
Just a bit of an update on my BMW (specifically, the DTA ECU it runs on). After rushing to get a replacement unit in the car back in July and prove it worthy enough for a 300 mile trip without issue (former configuration was using hall sensors which really, really gave me a headache in June...
A welcomed return
posted by Jon
A while back I decided to sell my Canon 50mm ƒ/1.4 USM. I don’t know why I did that – I think it was to fund a car part or something and I realized I hadn’t been using the 50mm for many photos at the time. Recently, I went to a few different car meets and found myself...
Clean that thing
posted by Jon
Recently I was reading up on cleaning the sensor on a digital SLR. I’ll be honest – I have owned and shot with DSLRs for quite a while but I’ve never (had to) cleaned the sensor. I’ve used a rocket blower thinger and blew out the cavity and such but never had to...
So Ratty!
posted by Jon
One thing I take for granted in this area is how many unique cars come out to our local events. Each month Hooter’s holds a large car show with trophies, games, music, etc., and the number of cool cars is constantly increasing. Last night I saw a bunch of cars that I’ve never seen before from old Ford “vanagon” looking things to crazy rat rods and rail dragsters. Of course you’ll find your expected classic Camaro and Mustang as well. Anyway – check below for some shots from this...
The Pelican!
posted by Jon
After returning from vacation I realized something – I realized that my camera bag was too small. I have a large Lowepro bag, but with the addition of my 400mm ƒ/5.6L, I can no longer fit that and my 70-200mm ƒ/2.8L IS II. I stuck the 70-200 in my sisters camera bag on travel but...
Shady Brook 8-31
posted by Jon
Today was a great day! It was about 78F all day long and turned into a very nice, very mild evening. I brought my camera (5D Mark II + 85mm 1.2L II) to the weekly Shady Brook meet. I snagged some decent shots and am happy with them all. Thought I’d...
Little Red E30
posted by Jon
Before leaving for vacation I had washed this little red car and buffed the hood and fenders with compound. I haven’t paid it much attention because I’ve got a number of other projects going on so I thought I should get some proper video of this car. Its a 1987 325E 4-door but I’ve pulled the M20B27 out and replaced it with an M50B25TU. I’ve also gone and cleaned everything up and powdercoated the valve cover, oil pain, and other bits. Its a really clean swap. All that remains is finishing up the exhaust really. Ultimately I want to re-install the AC later but that can wait for now. All in all its a fun...
Yet another 7D!
posted by Jon
That makes 3 Canon 7D’s that have come across my desk! Ok ok – one was for my sister, and now this one is for work. We are going to be using this camera for an inspection station. We started getting quotes for higher megapixel inspection cameras and the prices were very...
Goodnight Irene
posted by Jon
Surely everyone has heard all about hurricane Irene and all the damage it has caused up and down the eastern coast. What a bummer! We took a moderate risk vacationing in the Florida Keys in August – pretty much peak hurricane season down there. It is especially risky because storms...
Bahia Honda Park
posted by Jon
Bahia Honda Park used to be a little island that people would drive through to get to Key West and other lower Keys. The bridge that connects Bahia Honda to the rest of the Keys deteriorated beyond repair such that a new bridge was constructed. People started to visit Bahia Honda for its...
Fish Company?
posted by Jon
That’s right! The Islamorada Fish Company! If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a huge Bass Pro Shop in Islamorada, FL that has a lot of character and a TON of fishing and related stuff. We used to always stop here on our way down to Key Colony Beach when we were younger. This time, we left Cudjoe Key and drove up! The unique part about this store is that it’s got a replica (I think!) of Ernest Hemingway’s boat in the center. It’s also got a fish tank that holds permit, bonefish, etc., tons of rods, reels, nets, and clothes. Even more, it’s got a unique bar/lounge upstairs as well as...
Buttaflies
posted by Jon
Today marks our fourth day in Key West which means this is our last day before moving to our second spot down here on Cudjoe Key. While our parents checked into our second place, my sister and I went to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory. It was pretty hot outside and looked cloudy...
Beach!
posted by Jon
One thing the FL Key’s might be lacking is nice beaches. Being from the Northeast, I sometimes take for granted the huge sandy beaches we have at the NJ Shore. Luckily, though, there are a few nice beaches in the Key’s and today we visited one. We drove down to Fort...
Most Southern
posted by Jon
One of the biggest attractions each day in Key West is the Sunset Celebration. It’s held down at Mallory Square right on the water. Each night, as the sun lowers to the horizon, street performers gather and prepare to perform various types of shows (magic, fire, music, etc.). So, naturally, you have to go down for Sunset Celebration at least once while in Key West. This time there was a fire-breather guy, an escape artist, some musicians, a glass blower, about a dozen people doing various crafts, etc. Pictured above is a man carving huge conch shells out of solid chunks of wood. After checking out Mallory Square for a...
Hangin’ Out
posted by Jon
I think the picture above just about says it all. Today was an awesome day as far as weather goes – so sunny and clear blue skies the whole time. I went swimming twice today in the two pools here at the bed and breakfast place we’re staying at. Oh also, the place has free...
Flying High!
posted by Jon
Wow! It will probably sound lame but I am going to say it – today was my first time flying! Yeah yeah, I know it’s funny I’ve never been on a plane but we’ve always driven to vacation. I wasn’t nervous but didn’t really know what to expect. I left...
One legged monster
posted by Jon
Last year on vacation one thing I struggled with was holding my camera and lens combination after many hours in the heat. I had been shooting with a 7D (and battery grip) with the massive Canon 500mm f/4.0L attached – not a light combination but not immensely heavy: The issue is that...
Young Grasshoppa
posted by Jon
Found this little critter outside today. I had my 5DII and 100mm macro lens handy because I was taking photos of my other camera and new monopod when I saw this bright colored grasshopper hanging out on a bush branch. It took me two attempts to capture a decent photo. The first time I...
Joining the ranks
posted by Jon
Good news! My sister has joined the Canon ranks. She had used a Nikon D70 for several years but decided she wanted a new camera and ultimately went with the Canon 7D kit with Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens! I think she will love it once she gets used to it and gets more...