Lately I've seen some great HDR creations on flickr that have now led me back to this place... to get into HDR, or not to.
I never got into it because most images I remember seeing had that HDR halo which I am not fond of. I'm not sure if the software has got any better or if there are more (and better) users of various HDR tools, but the HDR posts I see now are much better and more subtle really bringing out more tones than just an overly saturated image.
Technically I love the concept of merging the images for a more dynamic scene, but then again - is it cheating or just using another tool to create my own art?
Of course, all that said and I couldn't resist putting this image through Posterization using Photoshop. I dunno. Do you like it? Is it overly done thus making my a hypocrite? Or is it something I should play with more?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Destined UPGRADE?
I have been shooting with a Canon EOS 20D for the past three years. It is a great camera for me for the following reasons in no particular order:
8.2 megapixel CMOS sensor
This sensor captures images with relatively low noise, good saturation, and produces files which print up to 20"x30" rather well in my opinion.
Size / Controls
I chose this camera over the Canon EOS Rebel XT and Nikon because the body size and shape felt more comfortable to me and I thought the menu system was relatively easy to use.
Durability
Although I tend to baby this camera, it's fallen to the floor on more than one occasion. It's built 'well enough' for my use.
I am now considering upgrading to the recently announced Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Canon's level of DSLR cameras follow this format in terms of features and quality:
XXXD - Entry Level DSLR, plastic body, Sub-$1,000 purchase price, small size, and lack of various features of the...
XXD - Considered an advanced-amateur camera, magnesium body, $1,200-$1,300 purchase price, larger 'standard' camera size, more color controls, and easier controls. Sometimes used by professionals.
5D - This has been considered a "prosumer" camera as it bridges the gap between Canon's professional line and consumer line. As new a $3,000 purchase price. The 5D is also a full-frame camera meaning the sensor is the same size as 35mm film. This gives the user a much larger view finder, more depth of field options, generally a better sensor in terms of color, and better body construction overall.
1D - Canon's professional line of cameras. $4,000-8,000 dollars depending on the model. Again, a full-frame sensor, more color and imaging functionality, better body construction - essentially waterproof, better autofocus, a built in vertical grip, and a larger battery.
I'm sure there are other differences between the model types, but for this discussion I'm leaving it with what I have. The Canon 20D has been proceeded by the 30D, 40D, and recently the 50D. The 50D in my opinion has been the first significant upgrade to the 20D. In short, the sensor's megapixels increased 184%, the processing chip has really changed in order to facilitate the 5 frames per second and cleaner images at higher ISO (film speed). That said, the real upgrade for me is the recently announced Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
The 5D series is a full frame digital SLR. There are many advantages of a full frame sensor. The biggest reason for me is for a much larger viewfinder. The XXXD and XXD sensor/viewfinder compared to the 5D's is 1.6 times smaller. The full frame gives a larger field of view, a brighter view, and also allows lenses designed to for 35mm film to be used 'as designed'. These are other features/upgrades as compared to my 20D:
Full Frame 21.1 Megapixels
This is the same (or similar) sensor used in Canon's 1DsMkIII current series ($8,000). In terms of size, it's a 257% increase in pixels for me which gives me some latitude to crop images while still allowing for large prints. That said, a full 21.1 MP print should make a very nice 20"x30".
Slightly Larger Body
The 5DmkII is larger than the XXD models. I eventually purchased a vertical grip to make the camera more comfortable for me, and also to give me a 'portrait' grip. Also, the 5DmkII is better weather sealed than the 20D, although I don't see myself taking too many pictures in the rain.
Movie Mode
I didn't think I'd like this at first, but having the ability to take video with the camera, and more importantly my lenses, sounds like a 'fun' thing for me. In photographer's forums it's somewhat controversial.
Improved Image Quality
The 5D "classic" is considered to be one of the best image producing cameras ever created. I can not imagine Canon having it's sequel having any less quality. The 5DmkII also allows for ISO usage up to 25,600. I'm no so interested in the use of ISO 25,600 as so much as the image quality of shots from ISO 100-3,200.
I don't see myself using both the 20D and the 5DmkII if I upgrade to it. I'm not a pro, nor do I have a real need for two cameras. The 20D is able to shoot at 5 frames per second compared to 3.9fps of the new 5D, but for myself that's more of a novelty than anything else for me as I don't generally shoot sports.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is available at the end of November and has a list price of $2,700 USD. I'm sure it would take really good pictures of turkey.
8.2 megapixel CMOS sensor
This sensor captures images with relatively low noise, good saturation, and produces files which print up to 20"x30" rather well in my opinion.
Size / Controls
I chose this camera over the Canon EOS Rebel XT and Nikon because the body size and shape felt more comfortable to me and I thought the menu system was relatively easy to use.
Durability
Although I tend to baby this camera, it's fallen to the floor on more than one occasion. It's built 'well enough' for my use.
I am now considering upgrading to the recently announced Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Canon's level of DSLR cameras follow this format in terms of features and quality:
XXXD - Entry Level DSLR, plastic body, Sub-$1,000 purchase price, small size, and lack of various features of the...
XXD - Considered an advanced-amateur camera, magnesium body, $1,200-$1,300 purchase price, larger 'standard' camera size, more color controls, and easier controls. Sometimes used by professionals.
5D - This has been considered a "prosumer" camera as it bridges the gap between Canon's professional line and consumer line. As new a $3,000 purchase price. The 5D is also a full-frame camera meaning the sensor is the same size as 35mm film. This gives the user a much larger view finder, more depth of field options, generally a better sensor in terms of color, and better body construction overall.
1D - Canon's professional line of cameras. $4,000-8,000 dollars depending on the model. Again, a full-frame sensor, more color and imaging functionality, better body construction - essentially waterproof, better autofocus, a built in vertical grip, and a larger battery.
I'm sure there are other differences between the model types, but for this discussion I'm leaving it with what I have. The Canon 20D has been proceeded by the 30D, 40D, and recently the 50D. The 50D in my opinion has been the first significant upgrade to the 20D. In short, the sensor's megapixels increased 184%, the processing chip has really changed in order to facilitate the 5 frames per second and cleaner images at higher ISO (film speed). That said, the real upgrade for me is the recently announced Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
The 5D series is a full frame digital SLR. There are many advantages of a full frame sensor. The biggest reason for me is for a much larger viewfinder. The XXXD and XXD sensor/viewfinder compared to the 5D's is 1.6 times smaller. The full frame gives a larger field of view, a brighter view, and also allows lenses designed to for 35mm film to be used 'as designed'. These are other features/upgrades as compared to my 20D:
Full Frame 21.1 Megapixels
This is the same (or similar) sensor used in Canon's 1DsMkIII current series ($8,000). In terms of size, it's a 257% increase in pixels for me which gives me some latitude to crop images while still allowing for large prints. That said, a full 21.1 MP print should make a very nice 20"x30".
Slightly Larger Body
The 5DmkII is larger than the XXD models. I eventually purchased a vertical grip to make the camera more comfortable for me, and also to give me a 'portrait' grip. Also, the 5DmkII is better weather sealed than the 20D, although I don't see myself taking too many pictures in the rain.
Movie Mode
I didn't think I'd like this at first, but having the ability to take video with the camera, and more importantly my lenses, sounds like a 'fun' thing for me. In photographer's forums it's somewhat controversial.
Improved Image Quality
The 5D "classic" is considered to be one of the best image producing cameras ever created. I can not imagine Canon having it's sequel having any less quality. The 5DmkII also allows for ISO usage up to 25,600. I'm no so interested in the use of ISO 25,600 as so much as the image quality of shots from ISO 100-3,200.
I don't see myself using both the 20D and the 5DmkII if I upgrade to it. I'm not a pro, nor do I have a real need for two cameras. The 20D is able to shoot at 5 frames per second compared to 3.9fps of the new 5D, but for myself that's more of a novelty than anything else for me as I don't generally shoot sports.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is available at the end of November and has a list price of $2,700 USD. I'm sure it would take really good pictures of turkey.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
AND FURTHERMORE...
If you haven't, please read prior to continuing:
http://kurtneurauter.blogspot.com/2008/08/aussie-beer-is-crap.html
So tonight I picked up a pizza and some beer. I walked into the bottle shop and perused the different varieties of beer. Mmm, brewed barley, hops, wheats, cereals, malts... Ah, it's what men drink. Except, I'm in Australia, where all beer is crap. It is. If you happen to be Australian and would like to argue it with me, fine. Argue it with me.
So, tonight I dismissed my idea that the crap-taste in Aussie beer is the water. I picked up a six pack of Heineken - "Brewed in Australia under supervision of Heineken Brouwerijen B.V., Amsterdam, Holland."
It's not the water.
"Brewed in Australia under supervision of Heineken Brouwerijen B.V., Amsterdam, Holland"
It's the brewers and the ingredients. This beer, brewed in Australia, is good.
Okay. I'm done now.
Aussie Beer is still crap.
http://kurtneurauter.blogspot.com/2008/08/aussie-beer-is-crap.html
So tonight I picked up a pizza and some beer. I walked into the bottle shop and perused the different varieties of beer. Mmm, brewed barley, hops, wheats, cereals, malts... Ah, it's what men drink. Except, I'm in Australia, where all beer is crap. It is. If you happen to be Australian and would like to argue it with me, fine. Argue it with me.
So, tonight I dismissed my idea that the crap-taste in Aussie beer is the water. I picked up a six pack of Heineken - "Brewed in Australia under supervision of Heineken Brouwerijen B.V., Amsterdam, Holland."
It's not the water.
"Brewed in Australia under supervision of Heineken Brouwerijen B.V., Amsterdam, Holland"
It's the brewers and the ingredients. This beer, brewed in Australia, is good.
Okay. I'm done now.
Aussie Beer is still crap.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Mexican Food in Australia - Montezuma's in Chatswood
So here it was... described to me as "really good Mexican food" by an Australian. I had to check it out since I've been craving Mexican food for some time now.
So myself and my new American friend Jonathan walked in the door. The decor was along the lines of a "Chevy's", which isn't necessarily a bad thing - just that I haven't been to one in over 5 years. Along the ceiling were the Mexican puppet dolls hanging, some pictures of saguaro cacti on the walls, and all sorts of pastel colors. Jon and I looked at each other both thinking "okay, this might be okay".
I learned something that night. If you ask for a table for two and you haven't "booked" they will seat you at a really small table. I know this because Jon asked for a table for two, and after we saw it I asked if my booking was there and sure enough, we were moved to a much better and larger booth. Very weird, but that's just the way it is here.
So... we both had a Corona... with LEMON. Okay, so something I've noticed is that Aussie's don't have limes very often. Seriously - that night I realized that I hadn't seen a green lime since back in the US.
So we had our Corona with LEMON and ordered a queso fundido and a frijole dip along with a side of jalapenos. As we were still in shock over the LEMON we decided to hold back on the mains until we tried the entrees. (Entree = appetizer, Main = main meal) Minutes later, actually, way more minutes than necessary later, two bowls show up with some tortilla chips. The queso fundido in my opinion was some cheddar mixed with a whole lot of sour cream microwaved together, and the frijole dip was canned refried beans with canned refried beans, also microwaved. You know, I really would like to describe this as an 'interesting version' of these dishes but I can't. They sucked. Seriously, melting a block of Spicy Velveeta would have been better. And the bean dip? Yeah, seriously.
The jalapenos weren't bad though - they were the standard canned and pickled ones you'd put on nachos, although for $2.50 I would have thought we'd get more of them. Oh, and we needed more chips which... also cost another $2.50.
That said, and from the picture we strived to continue with our comida de Aussie, although we strongly considered walking out and up the street to one of the four Indian restaurants we saw. Jonathan asked why fajitas were not on the menu... He was astonished they didn't have them on the menu but ordered something else. I forget what as it looked just like my Chile Verde Burrito.
So the dishes came out and I had to take the picture. I was surprised it looked as good as it did - totally gringo, but still there are certain suckage factors you need to accept while living abroad so I was hopeful. Okay, do you know how most gringo mexican is served on a hot plate - the real hot plate? Right, keeps everything warm and melted but doesn't really cause any bodily harm right? WRONG. I didn't touch the plate as along the edges the rice, melted cheese, and tortilla were charred black. The plate remained where it was placed throughout my meal. First bite after a few minutes of ensuring I wouldn't burn my tongue was the rice. It was rice, some moist texture, some crunch charred texture, edible, but not good. The rice was just that rice, but no stewed tomatoes or any peppers... just rice with some color. Next up was the Chile Verde Burrito. Let me describe this as "difficult". The way I eat a smothered burrito is to slice part of an end off, maybe that piece in half, and eat it. I'd call this the standard way, but what do I know. So in my attempt to slice through the tortilla I discovered the tortilla was cauterized onto the plate. Hmm, okay. The meat (beef) was actually great, and the "chile verde" portion was done using green bell peppers (instead of actual chiles).
So, all in all, what did I think? Let's leave it at the fact I won't have Mexican food ever again in Australia.
So myself and my new American friend Jonathan walked in the door. The decor was along the lines of a "Chevy's", which isn't necessarily a bad thing - just that I haven't been to one in over 5 years. Along the ceiling were the Mexican puppet dolls hanging, some pictures of saguaro cacti on the walls, and all sorts of pastel colors. Jon and I looked at each other both thinking "okay, this might be okay".
I learned something that night. If you ask for a table for two and you haven't "booked" they will seat you at a really small table. I know this because Jon asked for a table for two, and after we saw it I asked if my booking was there and sure enough, we were moved to a much better and larger booth. Very weird, but that's just the way it is here.
So... we both had a Corona... with LEMON. Okay, so something I've noticed is that Aussie's don't have limes very often. Seriously - that night I realized that I hadn't seen a green lime since back in the US.
So we had our Corona with LEMON and ordered a queso fundido and a frijole dip along with a side of jalapenos. As we were still in shock over the LEMON we decided to hold back on the mains until we tried the entrees. (Entree = appetizer, Main = main meal) Minutes later, actually, way more minutes than necessary later, two bowls show up with some tortilla chips. The queso fundido in my opinion was some cheddar mixed with a whole lot of sour cream microwaved together, and the frijole dip was canned refried beans with canned refried beans, also microwaved. You know, I really would like to describe this as an 'interesting version' of these dishes but I can't. They sucked. Seriously, melting a block of Spicy Velveeta would have been better. And the bean dip? Yeah, seriously.
The jalapenos weren't bad though - they were the standard canned and pickled ones you'd put on nachos, although for $2.50 I would have thought we'd get more of them. Oh, and we needed more chips which... also cost another $2.50.
That said, and from the picture we strived to continue with our comida de Aussie, although we strongly considered walking out and up the street to one of the four Indian restaurants we saw. Jonathan asked why fajitas were not on the menu... He was astonished they didn't have them on the menu but ordered something else. I forget what as it looked just like my Chile Verde Burrito.
So the dishes came out and I had to take the picture. I was surprised it looked as good as it did - totally gringo, but still there are certain suckage factors you need to accept while living abroad so I was hopeful. Okay, do you know how most gringo mexican is served on a hot plate - the real hot plate? Right, keeps everything warm and melted but doesn't really cause any bodily harm right? WRONG. I didn't touch the plate as along the edges the rice, melted cheese, and tortilla were charred black. The plate remained where it was placed throughout my meal. First bite after a few minutes of ensuring I wouldn't burn my tongue was the rice. It was rice, some moist texture, some crunch charred texture, edible, but not good. The rice was just that rice, but no stewed tomatoes or any peppers... just rice with some color. Next up was the Chile Verde Burrito. Let me describe this as "difficult". The way I eat a smothered burrito is to slice part of an end off, maybe that piece in half, and eat it. I'd call this the standard way, but what do I know. So in my attempt to slice through the tortilla I discovered the tortilla was cauterized onto the plate. Hmm, okay. The meat (beef) was actually great, and the "chile verde" portion was done using green bell peppers (instead of actual chiles).
So, all in all, what did I think? Let's leave it at the fact I won't have Mexican food ever again in Australia.
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