Ken Rockwell and Image Files

Oh hello there.

This morning I checked KenRockwell.com as I usually do, and I saw he has a review of the

Lexar 32GB 600x Compact flash card. I read it, and he mentioned many times that he couldn't fill it. He tried and tried and couldn't fill it or kill it. How can you not fill 32Gb in 2 months?!

I run 4Gb of photos most days of shooting! (Let it be clear that I don't just click away, but I do take a lot of Dups.)

Then I realized why. HE SHOOTS JPEG!

I am a diligent follower of pro Photographer Jared Polin, and recently he did a week long series of YouTube videos on RAW Vs. Jpeg. Not only did it open my eyes to how much I can do with RAW, but it reassured my disagreements with Ken.

I'll make some huge rant post about this sometime soon, but for now I just want to state facts.

What photographers here shoot what? Raise hands in comments. Please do.

I've never met a Real photographer that shoots Jpeg. that being said, Ken Rockwell isn't a photographer. He's an Engineer. I don't like Ken Rockwell's pictures. They look like snapshots. Almost all of them look over sharpened and miscolored. Why? he lets his camera do everything. His photos are big ol' snapshots. Really Snazzy, $5000 dollar camera snapshots.

He talks about how he loves his D40 as much as his D3.

Sure, you can make amazing, professional quality images with it, but if I have a D3 at my disposal, you bet your toupee that I'm gonna use the D3. It's not that I can't do it on a D40, but I can do it easier, more refined, & more enjoyably on a better camera. I don't give a poo about size and weight, I'm youthful and have man hands.

His images are far from art, but plenty good enough for your Aunt's facebook page.

That's what I have to say about him for now.

I'm gonna go get some coffee and read the news.

Remember, Kids, Don't Do Quantaray!

Big Camera Little Camera

Hello!

Earlier this morning I was watching the news, and I saw a Press Photographer with what seemed to be a Canon 5D MK II.

Although it's a simply magnificent camera, I see more press with 1D's.

they're both amazing cameras, although I've come to a crossroad. If I'm gonna be holding my camera up as high as I can trying to get a picture of something or somebody important, I'm gonna want to use the biggest, toughest camera I can. Cause I don't want to drop my little plastic camera and be out who knows how much, and possibly losing my million dollar image.

The Canon 1D series is by far the best Press camera in the world. It's fast, tough as nails, and captures stunning images. The 5D MK II is an amazing camera, but to me it's just not for hardcore press.

The only person I know of who'd rather use a small, plastic camera than a big, beefy, durable camera is Ken Rockwell. More on him later. If I'm gonna shoot anything other than little kids, I'm gonna use the best camera I can. I'm also gonna use the biggest camera I can. My dad's always complaining about how I could want a big heavy camera. He shot an FM, a really small camera. I'm youthful, and my hands just don't work well with a camera as small as a D60. I need a new camera ASAP. My dream camera is of course a Nikon D3s, or any Nikon or Canon full pro camera. Why? IT JUST FEELS GOOD. I shot with the 40D/bat. grip again (Images to come) and I loved it. It fit my big ol' man hands right.

So what would you prefer for certain shooting situations? A big 1D, or a small 5D. You pick.

Not to mention, the bigger the camera, the more people fear you. When you're the photographer and people don't give a crap about you, you're screwed.

Short Term Nostalgia

Wednesday night, I couldn't sleep so I threw in my Good Evening New York DVD to listen/watch. It gave me the strongest craving for a Plaid Hoodie (of which I cannot link due to the discontinuation)and a WISH Starbucks cup.

I also get the memories and good feelings of November 4th, 2009 every time I listen to Maybe I'm Amazed. Is there something wrong with me? Am I the only one that this happens to?

Do any of you people out there get this? It's as if things from said timeframe trigger the feelings.

Short Term Nostalgia is what I call it. It could be because the Fall/Winter season of '09 was pretty much the best time period of my life so far. Cause it was. I don't know why it happens, and I'm not sure I hate it, I'm just wondering if it's just me. It seems like mostly music triggers it, but just last week I drank a Starbucks Mocha for the first time in forever and took me straight back to the night mentioned earlier with the WISH starbucks cups.

Life went way uphill in the latter half of last year. It was just a good time.

The best of times, really.

If you've been with me since the start, you should know that Christmas is my favorite time of year. That's expanded to Fall/Winter, but still that area of time.

As soon as the High temp. of the day is 68, I'm in heaven. That means 38 degree morning walks, waking up to my Maybe I'm Amazed ringtone, and all that stuff.

Hey, that might be why that's a trigger. It's been my alarm tone since September '09, and has all those 6:45 sharp blog posts. Boy I loved those days. 6:30 Coffee's on. 6:45 Coffee's on desk with Blogger open. 7:32 Walk begins, 35-39 degrees.

Heaven. It triggers Owl shaped two-tone cookies, Cranapple cider, and orange leaves.

It triggers Cicero looking at me, and looking forward to my photo class with John Greengo.

That class has tons of great memories for me. Que November 4th.

Fall is a good, inspiring time for me, when I blog best.

Quite possibly cause that's when I started.

All I know is that come October, this Bi-Monthly blog thing will end. More good photo stuff (in my eye) and just a good mindset. Enough rambling, I must go.

Do you ever have short term nostalgia cases? Feel free to leave a response.

Music Monday: The Sandcarvers

Hello! Recently (Last week) I got a late, but in the fashionable way, birthday box from my awesome friends The Sandcarvers.

The Sandcarvers are a Celtic Rock band based in Milwaukee, WI.

Anyways, I was kindly hinted of this package back in April, and was curious (as every 13 YO boy should be) as to what this could be. Sure enough, when I finally received the "stuff", I was ecstatic. What'd I find inside? Not just their newest album (see below), but a shirt (I was hinted of this when they asked what size I was [OMG STALKERZORZ]) AND a hat! Yes, a hat! I love hats. I'll post images of me in the tremendous swag once I work up the courage of taking a picture of myself.

Anywho, back to the band.

They were formed...... I don't really know when they were formed, actually. But their first album was out in 2004, so for the sake of timelines, we'll say 2004. (If anybody knows, please enlighten me)

The first album, titled "This Time Around" was released in '04 (I JUST SAID THAT) and, from the stuff I've heard in it, is Rockin'!

Next up, from '06 is "Dealin' Craic" and Rocks even harder than the first, in my mind. (Of course I want to include more, but I'm not really the review type.)

And finally, their newest album, which I received, is straight out of '09 titled

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" and to me, takes the cake hands down!

Stuffed full of power rock music with the prominent Celtic flair. Mucho bueno.

The band consists of

A.J. Laird: Vocals, Percussion, Bodhran (Linked for your knowledgeable pleasure)

Christopher Trotier: Vocals, Basses, Vibraslap (Don't you just love Wikipedia?)

Jeffrey S. Miller: Acoustic guitars, Vocals

Jason Dove: Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

Raven: Recorders, Keyboards, Bassoon.

Tony Keller: Drums, Chalice.

Bonus appearances in the studio

Ian Gould: Mandolin

Bryce Lehman: Electric Guitar

(Note: All band member listings are based off the newest album)

How'd I find out about this band in the first place? Twitter.

With the huge network of photographers out there, I've crossed paths and commonplaces with tons of people, with lots of overlapping ta boot.

Gareth Ash is the man. A fellow photographer and blogger, his mysterious avatar is an instant follow, in my mind. he's a rad person. A Canon shooter he is, I'll live.

Gareth and I started conversing and eventually we got to music, and he introduced me to Raven, who introduced me to her music, which I loved. Some epic people, with some epic wisdom. Philosophical, to say the least.

MUSIC.

Oh noes, I can't seem to find a decent youtube clip! If I find even an image montage with music, I'll post it.

Found one. Please excuse the epicfailness of this MM post, I suppose I wasn't really prepared.

Have a good day all! I'll be better next time.

A Road More or less Traveled

This past Saturday, our local Borders Bookstore had Authors Steven Otis and Collin Roberts for a booksigning of their new book,

A Road More or less Traveled.

I snagged a copy, as I'd heard about it before and was interested, along with getting it signed, or Written in, rather (Otis wrote a nice note), and then went back for my coffee.

Though I just opened it last night, I can already tell that it's a good read.

There's not much I can say about it now, but I might just put a review up when I'm done.

I'm in love

With the new 2011 Toyota Avalon Commercials.

I just love everything in the Mid 20th Century, and these commercials are no exception. They make me smile and think of my grandfather, who was fresh out of war at this time, and make me giddy for some of The Ink Spots. (Forgive me, half the reason I play fallout 3 is for the music. The other half is because I'm a nerd.)

I should stop making Promises

Cause I obviously can't keep them.

But I'm not gonna make a lengthly post about it, I'm gonna say sorry and move on.

So, last week I finished up a wonderful read, North By Northwestern.

It's written by Crab Boat Captain Sig Hansen, as he tells the story of the fishery.

It's packed with stories of his father and other relatives and friends of their tales, before the world went digital. Heck, I got a good Norwegian history lesson out of it, as well.

If you've seen the show Deadliest Catch, you already know what these men do, but you might not know how it came about. If you see this book, be sure and pick it up.

Or, download it in iBooks.