Sunday, December 11, 2011

I like ketchup

with my eggs

P1080341

I somehow got off cycle this week. I spent too much time trying to figure out why my video was not rendering without errors. During the week it is hard to snap photos when it is dark in the morning and dark on the commute home. I often get ideas for photos but find that there is no safe place to pull over, but I have a tripod in the trunk always ready for action, if needed. I have resorted to snapping shadow photos in our company parking lot during lunch hour

DSC00314

this was on one of those rare days when the rain finally stopped. I generally look forward to the weekends when I have more time to explore more photogenic places around town. Saturday morning found me at home waiting for my plumber to work in my washroom and also to disconnect my dishwasher, in preparation for a new one. I thought that this would be a speedy process and imagined that I would have the whole afternoon to myself and my new camera. He arrived around 9:15am while I was making breakfast, my ham omlette (1st photo above).

My plumber was happily working away and about half an hour later there was a knock on the door. It was the contractor who repaired my siding and had come today unexpectedly to repair a few loose ends. He is becoming enamoured with photography and we talked about this and that and he decided to purchase a Canon T3i upon my recommendation. I showed him some of my work and videos and how you were able to use "adapted" lenses on the EOS due to the short film plane to sensor distance. His friend was urging him to purchase a Nikon. I am mainly a Nikon person myself but I am very glad to have a Canon as it is more versitile. I think Nikon may theoretically have the edge in IQ but in the real world, there is little difference and you should purchase what feels good in your hands. I still have my D80 but I have the ability to now attach my Nikon lenses on my Canon.

My contractor was working in my kitchen, then downstairs, then outside in my carport. Between talking and working and discussing photography the whole day was shot as he finally left around 3:15pm.

I had been eyeing a new tripod that I saw on Granville Street last week. It looked very well made and I since discovered from my friend Google that all parts are forged and the ball head is machined to a very close tolerance. I already have too many tripods and I recently added to my collection just over a month ago when I picked up my first Pan Head tripod for video use. As I am typing right now, I have 5 tripods within 5 feet of where I am sitting, a 6th one in my trunk, not counting my two Manfrotto monopods, and my fat gecko suction mount. Almost forgot my small Manfrotto on my V-strom in the tool tube. I wanted a very small tripod for travelling to put into my backpack. This new one collapses to just under 12" and comes with a small sling carry pouch. I think it is made better than a Manfrotto and will double as a monopod, in a pinch. It is a Sirui and looks like THIS

I had plans on Sunday to drive out into the country and try out my new tripod, and snap a few photos with my Sony NEX-5n but Mrs Skoot wasn`t feeling well so we just ate at home and I decided to print and frame some photos. I haven`t used my printer in months and I was afraid of clogged heads but my Canon Pro9000 MK2 fired right up, made some head cleaning noises and the prints came out flawlessly.

DSC00129

We jokingly call these jackets our "City Slicker" Jackets because they are matching colours. We only wear them during the colder winter months. They come with a detachable fleece liner and have lots of storage.

Roger has recently issued a challenge to post 5 of your favourite photos from 2011 and I am still thinking about it. The problem is that I take too many photos and they are scattered amongst various external hard drives all over the place, and some are already archived onto DVD . Here is one taken in Victoria last May, 2011 during the Capital City Scooter Rally. It was taken from inside Pagliacci's. I have been attending this rally for many years and never have I been able to get a parking spot right in front of the restaurant's window. And Princess Scooterpie is no where to be seen.

IMG_4342

Another Christmas window display from Granville Street

DSC00294

9 comments:

  1. from: David Masse:

    "Bob, ketchup on eggs is one of those binary things that divide humanity into two camps. So far, I've bden on the other side of this one. Maybe when I get out to Vancouver you'll convince me to give it a shot. One never knows about these things."

    signed: David

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob

    I'm not a big ketchup eater, only like it on a few things like French fries. I have never been able to eat eggs & ketchup together. The next scooter rally I will be there! I was so new to the scooter scene I didn't really know anyone, but I do now. I may be riding Lucy though, because I think I am going to sell my wee scoot. I hope they will still let me in?!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ketchup on eggs is alright but Tabasco is better. Do you believe the US Senate stance that ketchup is a vegetable and not a condiment? That means you're eating healthy.

    I avoid dealing with video at home. I've been messing around with it for work for many years and really prefer doing things live with no post production. I'll leave the editing to others who actually enjoy that sort of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I used to eat ketchup on my scrambled eggs all the time. Back in the day when we ate eggs anyway.

    I like the picture of you and Mrs. skoot. Very nice. Great colors.

    You are looking pretty tall in that shadow too. Are they stretching you on the rack at work?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love ketchup on my eggs... and salsa!

    Now I'm hungry. :/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Judging from the first picture, I would suggest you are wrong. Saying you like eggs with your ketchup is more accurate.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hate it when my plans don't pan out. I wouldn't be a happy camper stuck in the house until 3:15 in the afternoon. On a different note, I like the portrait of you and Ms Skoot. it's a nice photo of you guys and a really pretty setting. I like the rugged boards with the dry brushy background.

    I don't think I've ever had ketchup on eggs! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. David:

    they now have ketchup (catsup) in Green. I can't bring myself to try it. Oh well, we can always go back to Hollandaise sauce.

    Dar:

    Ketchup with fries, and eggs are gooood. You met my riding buddies on that early scenic ride. We all had breakfast together, but I arrived at the Causeway a few minutes late and didn't see where the group went. I was looking for you BUT you didn't go the the Ross Bay pub for dinner either, nor to Pagliacci's on Sunday mornning, I left for the ferry shortly after.

    Richard:

    I know that tomatoes are healthy for you. Editing I find is relaxing, and you are the director, adding and moving clips around to produce your masterpiece. It's just the rendering times, or errors due to an incapable computer. If I stick to 5 minutes and 720p, I don't need a new computer. If I start editing 1080p30 AVCHD then I need an i7-2670QM Asus N53sv eh72. I amy compromise and go for an i7 ultrabook, I know, only a 2 core but I want something small with long battery life

    Trobairitz:

    What ! No eggs, there's no meat in eggs. I have to have my eggs, and ketchup. T minus -1 day . . .

    Lady R:

    Finally, something in common other than Jeeps . . . never tried Salsa though.

    Gary:

    I should have added more ketchup. I keep adding as I go so there is more ketchup than you can see, so really I have ketchup with a bit of eggs.

    Bluekat:

    I had big plans to walk around town and snap photos. All was fine until the doorbell rang and the contractor showed up, unexpectedly. Not that I didn't want him to finish my "projects", as he said he was coming back "one day", it's just that I didn't know it was to be that day, and I had plans.

    I just received the IR remote shutter release for my NEX and I was testing it out. If you order eggs at this years 2012 IBC, I will add the ketchup when you aren't looking . . .

    ReplyDelete
  9. i bet you would enjoy salsa bob, either red or green :)

    ReplyDelete