website changes

Last entry "July"...? so you're thinking, "what's with that? has this guy forgotten about his site?" well, I have not forgotten. In fact I have been very busy with things here - that is when I am not otherwise occupied with working, sleeping, or other daily activities.

Those of you (you know who you are :) who have been tracking my site will notice subtle changes here and there. I have been experimenting just a little bit: putting in ads, researching, doing search engine optimization, changing keywords, tracking hits, streamlining code (then finding something doesn't work, and changing it back... argh!) the list goes on...

I am still working on a new menu, but just haven't found the right design or layout yet (I am fussy about how it is going to work). So check back every so often to see what I have done. I put a lot of work and effort into how things look. This is a long-term investment, because I know eventually it will pay off :) So bear with me folks, everything is a work in progress.

new images

Just a quick post about some new material soon to be posted on my gallery.

I recently picked up some film from the lab: Kodak 800 and 400 print; and Fuji Sensia 100 slide.

The print film is from the Othello Tunnels. The slides are from Lighthouse Park.

Everything is on CD. Wow! Just wow!

And there is even a few odd ball images thrown in for good measure :) Now it is just a matter of picking through the images. I will post an update when the images are uploaded.

optical zoom vs digital zoom

Are you unsure about the differences between Optical Zoom and Digital Zoom?
Which is better: 8X Optical with 3X Digital, or 8X Digital with 3X Optical?

Let me go off on a tangent and fill you in on some technical aspects on resolution and how we see.
The amount of pixels in a picture is the resolution. Simply put, it is how many triangles of information are crammed into a given area. Yes, pixels are actually triangles :)
A 10 megapixel camera has more information that an 8 megapixel camera. Now, the difference of 2 megapixels is not that much. It's simply a selling feature. (don't even start me on the instant gratification thing :)

However, the human eye sees at least 324 megapixels! So a 10 megapixel image is only 3% of the capability of the human eye. To understand more of this see my post.

When we see something, our vision fills in the blanks, fills in the bits of missing information. When we look at a digital image we think it's good, because our eyes are playing tricks on us by filling in the bits of missing information. But put a 4x6" print under 8X magnification and you can see the pixels.

Ok, now onto a real example. In 2006 I was photographing an eagle at the far end of a pier. I was shooting at 1200mm. The image of the eagle filled the viewfinder. When I was done, I looked over at some people who were photographing the same eagle with digital cameras. All they were getting was a black smudge. When they magnified it, it was just a larger black smudge.

I was using optical magnification to obtain a better image, ergo more information. The digital cameras were trying to use digital magnification to get an image. Digital magnification cannot compare to optical magnification.
The more information you can obtain optically is better than trying to digitally magnify information which isn't there.

new images for photo gallery

I have added two new images to the photo gallery, category: scenic.

1. the kayaks I shot from the Burrard Bridge, looking straight down
2. skytrain bridge with the purple/mauve sunset
   

Both these images are currently being framed.

the secret

So what is the secret to creating an awesome photograph? Well, really, it is quite simple. There are two parts to this simple secret:

i) the primary key to photography is knowing how to see. Sounds simple, right? "I have two eyes, I see everything" you say. Well, yes, but knowing how to look. "The more I look, the more I see."

ii) the other part is knowing the technical aspects of photography. This goes back to knowing how to see.

Both of these points go hand in hand. This is the yin and yang of photography.

When I see an image I am already calculating in my head: composition, angles, light, shutter speed, depth of field, focus. I don't just see the current image, I see the final image. Oh, yes, there are fluke shots that happen. I've done it. But to make consistently good photos it requires knowing how to see. This is the secret.

new photo gallery

Okay, at last it is finished! My new photo gallery is up and running. This is after many, many hours of blood, sweat, tears, and a few choice words at my computer!

Everything appears to look good and work fine. However, if you find anything which doesn't seem to work, or appear, right, please feel free to email me from the contact page in my photo gallery, or from my main page.