Archive for January, 2011
28 January 2011 Off-topic: Gmail
I use my own personal email address(es) for lots of stuff, but I also find it convenient to use Gmail. Now I find that they are beginning to implement image-based ads in their service.
It is, of course, a free service, and they can operate it as they wish. The first image that appears in an ad, though, is the last time I use it. (Of course, if it appears in emails I send with Gmail, how will I know about it? Hmm….)
19 January 2011 Great App: Pro HDR
I’ve written before (most recently here) about high dynamic range (HDR) photography, where you compensate for the camera’s inability to render detail in light and dark areas simultaneously by combining multiple photographs of the same subject. Well, it turns out the technique brings a lot to my iPhone, as well. There is a built-in function to take HDR images, but the output isn’t nearly as good, I’ve found, as when you use a little app called Pro HDR.
Here is a screen grab of it in action. You let it take one light exposure and one dark, then combine them as so. You can even hand-hold, and as long as you aren’t too unsteady it merges the images without lots of artifacts.
Here is the result. I chose to include the sun in the image, which inherently causes lots of flare and desaturation, but even with this the shot looks pretty good. It looks much better than would have been possible with a single exposure alone in these conditions.
Here is another shot of the same subject. Notice the details in the highlights and the shadows without the end result looking overly fake (although you can tweak it for that effect if you wish).
Now here are a couple old photos taken with the program. First, a thimble-full of sake before drinking it.
.jpg)
And, someone’s illegally parked bike tossed unceremoniously into the bushes. Great quality photo for how dark it was.
.jpg)
13 January 2011 Random Family Photos
No real story behind these. Just some shots I liked.
10 January 2011 More Snow etc.
Another snow today, so I took the opportunity to snap a few shots from our balcony. I think we’re perfectly positioned as far as snow goes. It only snows enough to stick a few times a year, giving us the pleasures associated with it without most of the hassle.
Genbo is starting first grade next April at the school outlined below in red. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk.
3 January 2011 Hatsu-moude
We went up to Maki’s parents’ house in Fukui for the first few days of the new year. It’s a lot colder there than it is here, so Genbo and Zoe were looking forward to playing in the snow. One of the first things we did was hatsu-moude, or the first visit to a shrine to wish for good health and happiness in the coming year.
The first thing to do is stand in line to throw some money in the box for the resident spirits.
Those thick ropes are attached to the bells, which you ring to wake up the spirits to watch you throw money in, clap your hands together three times, bow your head, and wish for good things.
Here Genbo has just purchased some good-luck animistic schwag, this time in the form of a blessed arrow that will grace our home for the year and hopefully keep away the eviiiiiil spirits.
Unfortunately, his arrow-inspired antics were severely impinged upon by…
I have no idea what the horse signifies, but the picturesque building in the background is the kura, or storehouse of the shrine.
All in all, I really like this shrine, called お総社 (“O-souja”). It’s kind of small-scale, old-fashioned, and down-home. Only people from the area come here, but they do so a lot. I think Maki used to play in the grounds when she was a little kid.
1 January 2011 Snow Pansies
I decided to take advantage of the new snowfall to go take some photos. And, since I almost always find the part more interesting than the whole, ended up with some macros. No surprise there. A big surprise was the fact that, shortly after taking these photos, I discovered my precious Voigtlander 125/2.5 was mechanically broken, and its barrel would not de-extend. I’m going to send it in to get it fixed, and pray these aren’t the last photos taken with this rare classic.
I’ve always loved pansies as much as I’ve hated the name. I like how, in this first one, the two new sprouts or whatever coming off the stem just happen to be in the 2-3 mm of the image in focus. Serendipity strikes.
This one deserves to be clicked and viewed enlarged. In fact, a friend of mine just got a new printer capable of huge A2 prints (23.4 x 16.5 in), so I think I’m going to have to make an egregiously large print of it.
And, though this buried petal screamed for attention, I didn’t get an image I really liked, despite a long time trying…
1 January 2011 1/1/11
Or, as they say in Japan, 11/1/1. Either way, happy new year!
Here are a couple shots from our balcony. We got record amounts of snow dumped on us on December 31, making for a beautiful new year’s morning. Even late at night on the first, most of this is already gone already…
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
