At the master class last Saturday, I saw many bright, creative people. Jeremy Ian Thomas, the creative director at RawWorks, was among them. He wrote, along with Robert Lehman, and shot this short, micro budget film ($3.00) that has a compelling message and is really well executed.
Vimeo Link and additional info at the RAWworks blog.
Neil Smith, at hdiRAWworks, arranged for Philip Bloom to conduct a Canon HD-DSLR masterclass yesterday here in LA. This was the first time I've ever attended such a thing, and I rather enjoyed it and learned a lot too. The little tidbits you pick up are also interesting: like why the Canon 5Dmkii will only shoot video for 12 minutes. I always thought it was just a storage capacity issue. No. (We live in such a weird world.)
Philip showed several of his shorts, which, of course, are amazing. I've embedded a few of them here at tt.us from time to time. While they look great on the computer screen, they were stunning on the big screen with the HD projector.
He spoke of many things related to his craft, but I suppose I learned the most from his talk about setup, actually using the DSLR for video. I've never bothered with custom camera settings before but have already imported the superflat settings he recommended and am eager to try the workflow: shooting with the increased dynamic range, though visually initially less "interesting," and then grading the footage in post. It makes sense as I do the equivalent process with still photography all the time. We just can't get raw data out of the 5D. Philip says: "Yet..." (See Luka Crnkovic-Dodig's post: How to increase the Canon 7D/5D dynamic range, which includes this link to the superflat settings file, among others.)
In my own casual exploration through this space, I've ended up with a lot of the same software and equipment, and now have a better understanding of implementation and process for video and timelapse using my 5Dmkii. It's now time to play, play, play! I'm also eager to explore timelapse.
Aside from being brilliant at what he does, Philip is very personable and has a great sense of humor. He also comes across as completely genuine and open about what he recommends and why. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of his masterclasses, jump at it! I'm glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone.
With a recent storm having come off the Pacific, coupled with the Chilean 8.8 earthquake and its ensuing tsunami warning, the Pacific Ocean here in the South Bay Area, has been the most active I've ever seen it. In this short video I shot yesterday with my iPhone, the sandy beach, which typically begins out where you see the waves starting to break, is completely gone. No one was in the water. You could even see some of the currents zipping around as waves would head back out to sea crashing into the waves coming in from the sea. It was a spectacular site!
In my earlier post, I mentioned that the surf has been out of control with the storm and earthquake. The life guard stations had to be moved inland—waaaay inland, and the surf still almost got to them. Here you can see that the sand was completely eroded away by the surf, creating the sudden drop off that was as tall as me! (Click to enlarge.)
Normally, along a seashore, one expects to find seashells. Well, not so here in the South Bay. Regrettably, the dumping of LA's sewage has long ago killed such sea life. But what I found even more distressing was the amount of trash the surf brought to the shore line. It was unbelievable! Thousands of plastic bottle caps littered the shoreline as if they were the missing seashells! Bits of styrofoam, in various sizes, were everywhere. This is outrageous! We have turned the Pacific Ocean into a sewer. Click the image below to see two different pictures.
First it was Ireland: record rainfall and driving through unbelievable flooding. Then it was Arkansas: record rainfall and driving through unbelievable flooding. For the past three days, with more in the forecast, it's now here in southern California!
Stop the madness!
(Actually, I've rather enjoyed the rainfall. And yesterday I heard one of the most virulent thunder rumbles of all time! It was wonderful!)
Below is a 12 second video (without audio: do not adjust your TV set!) of flooding in Arkansas. This was by no means the worst flooding of the trip! Just out of the frame to the left is a heavily flooded cemetery. The flood water was thick with the scent of decomposition.
I'm showing this video as a proof of concept:
Yesterday afternoon I abandoned routine and went to see Avatar. This was the first time I have ever seen a 3D IMAX movie.
I had heard good things about Avatar in 3D IMAX but really really wasn't expecting much. After all, I've seen a 3D movie before, years ago. I just wasn't all that impressed with it. In fact, it was so lackluster, I don't even recall what the movie was. I'd also been to (seen?) Terminator, a 3D experience at Disney's EPCOT, which, while great fun, was obviously less than a deep 3D immersive experience.
Avatar is in a whole new class of immersive 3D experiences. I had adjusted to the 3D glasses within 15 - 20 seconds of watching the first 3D preview and quickly got past the fact that I was wearing them.
Within a few minutes, I was "into" the movie. I mean, I literally lost the fact I was watching this movie on a 2D flat screen. The sense of real physical depth is convincing.
I actually caught myself, at one point fairly early in the movie, physically moving my body/head to see around an object in the movie so I could better see what was behind it! Such a thing is, of course, impossible. I was still watching a 3D image projected on a flat 2D screen. But my mind, my sense of perception, was so realistically convinced by the 3D technology that I perceived an actual 3D space. Intuitively I "knew" that I should be able to see behind an object if I just moved.
Amazing!
I fear that I am now "of an age" that doesn't thrill so easily from a movie-going experience. This was different. The artistic direction, the imaginative, creative visual design, the seamless and invisible integration of CGI were all compellingly presented in a truly artistic and visually stunning encounter.
Seeing Avatar in 3D IMAX is a must. This movie, in 3D IMAX, has forever changed what the movies are destined to become as an art form.
Another 3D movie was advertised in the previews that I will have to go see: NASA's 3D IMAX about repairing the Hubble Telescope. The trailer said NASA filmed the actual repair with a 3D IMAX camera. The clarity, detail, and 3D reality of the trailer placed me right there loosely tethered in outer space. I really felt as though I could reach out in front of me and touch the image. It seemed that real.
What will be next? When will our capacity to capture and display massive amounts of visual information become so great that we will be able to literally walk around in a movie projection, seeing it from all sides? (I would hate to be the camera director for that kind of project!) While interacting physically with the image, like on the Holodeck in StarTrek, currently seems impossible, or maybe not, perhaps a more complete sense of 3D projection is not.
This picture was shot of a rose picked from the garden yesterday. Only in California!
Avalon
View from high above Avalon
The jagged western coast
Western coastal pano
The Avalon harbor
I took a slow drive south along the ocean this morning. Numerous scenes softly called to the camera lens.
High atop the craggy precipice, she pondered nature's pillowy display
On the paws of kittens it crept
Listen, breathe and feel the fog float by you
I've known Brad and his beautiful, lovely wife for several years--all the way back to Atlanta before their son was even born. I knew about Big Brothers Big Sisters working with children across the country. I knew Brad was a "Big," as they are called, at some point when we all lived in Atlanta.
Things I didn't know:
A couple of nights ago, a ferocious wind storm came through (a weather front without rain). I was walking along the sidewalk in Culver City, heading to meet friends for dinner at Fraiche, one of the many delightful little restaurants in downtown Culver City.
The wind was so fierce, debris was blowing into my hair and into my eyes. I've never experienced anything quite so irritating.
The weather became much cooler--dropping maybe as much as 20º. During the night the wind from the ocean was so strong I closed up the house. But too late.
As it so seldom rains, the pollens and dust permeated the air, filled the house, and have sent my sinuses into a belligerent rage. My allergies have been out of control ever since--nose bleeds, burning eyes, burning sinuses, et. al.
Deliver me!
Apparently we are to get rain tonight with really heavy rain from a storm coming off of the Pacific tomorrow. This is an astounding thought!
Today has been heavily overcast. No, this isn't just chitchat about the weather. This is a breaking news event!
Update: So tonight, walking along the beach, I shot these two pictures. The clarity of the bay area was astounding! You could clearly see the island of Catalina (top photo), which is usually completely invisible in the ocean air, or, at best, only faintly outlined. Malibu, at the north end of the bay, was also clearly visible. I could even see the Santa Monica ferris wheel--a first!
Click each photo to see a larger version. (The color in these photos is not altered.)
Facing the south bay with the island of Catalina in the distance
Facing the north bay with Malibu in the distance (same lifeguard station as above)
Well, with the earthquake in the Pacific, I guess I shouldn't ride my bike along the coast as we're at a heightened alert for a possible tsunami. I frequently ride down by the ocean through an area that is labeled as a Tsunami Evacuation Area.
While unlikely, the Tsunami Emergency Information being distributed indicates that an earthquake in Alaska could cause serious tsunami damage in LA within a mere hour! But we have only had 13 tsunami events in California in the past 75 years. The only one to affect Los Angeles bay area was in 1930 when the maximum level of water run-up was almost 20 feet.
A 20 foot run-up would absolutely affect the area in which I ride.
I love many things about fall: the shorter days, the nip in the air, the angle of the sunlight, and the fact that the beach returns to the locals after Labor Day weekend.
This afternoon featured a gorgeous sunset with a heavy fog layer down by Santa Monica and Malibu. (You can't really make out the fog in this picture as it was further to the right.) The number of people at the beach and walking along the Strand was reduced by 75%.
Add to all of this a wonderful dinner at an authentic French restaurant. Ahhh. Life doesn't get much better than this.
We had what appeared to be snow in Manhattan Beach last year--the ash from the fires was falling from the sky. The smoke from the fires this summer is still north of us. The amount of smoke is just unbelievable. Keep in mind that the smoke you see in the picture below hides the north mountain range. These smoke clouds rise astoundingly high into the atmosphere.
(Click the image below to see a larger version.)
Tonight I realized that the one thing I really dislike about where I live, Manhattan Beach, is the lack of diversity, the "sameness" of the town.
Tonight, in Santa Monica, I got to see a more colorful crowd of varied ages, interests, and looks. While less than the fratboy scene in Hermosa Beach or the craziness (but fun for a visit) of Venice Beach, Santa Monica seemed to have more energy about it. Each of the beach communities here in Los Angeles has its own interesting personality.
Even with the camera securely mounted on a tripod and using a time delayed shutter release to avoid camera shake, the long exposure shots blurred (the top one is the worst) because of the constant and strong gust of wind coming off of the Pacific. The wind was so intense (and very, very cool for August first) that everything was wet with salt spray, including my glasses.
Clicking each picture displays a larger image.
I absolutely love eating at the Veggie Grill. I've mentioned this before.
I didn't realize, until today, that the Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich really isn't made of chicken at all. And it's delicious! I would never have known, having eaten it three times before, if I hadn't read a review of the sandwich.
Aside from the fact that it is called the Cripsy Santa Fe Chickin' Sandwich, one would have no hint that anything is other than chicken.
I also really like the natural ketchup. I like it a great deal more than regular Heinz ketchup, which is all the ordinary restaurants seem to serve any more. Annie's Naturals Organic Ketchup is significantly more tasty, but not in an obtrusive way--just delicious. It tastes fresher.
The dude rocks!
I had the opportunity to watch the American Idol Live concert tonight at the Staples Center in LA and shot this video of Adam's first performance. You can't really see how completely awesome the visual effects were. You can see everyone had their cell phones and cameras out recording it.
Uploading the video immediately after he performed it took 10 minutes. So I wasn't able to shoot any others. But the visuals for this one were the most impressive. The audio, for much of the concert, was just too loud for me--too much distortion. (Research actually shows that most Americans equate louder with higher quality.)
Hate that I didn't get to shoot Mad World!
Everyone knows Lambert really won American Idol. The crowds were insane over him--but not the "winner."
Also of interest is the number of comments, views and ratings that happened before I even got home from the concert. I had no idea he was such a hot search on YouTube!
This evening we had a nice stroll in the ocean.
I have a new favorite: The Veggie Grill. I discovered them on Yelp, an application for the iPhone couple with their online presence, which I also love. Yelp allows patrons to photograph, rate, and review places of business. Not only did a significant number of people rate The Veggie Grill, many places are not rated at all, but the patrons who had eaten on The Veggie Grill all gave it very high reviews.
Truth be told, I am in no way a vegetarian, though I love my veggies. I just couldn't restrict myself to a meat-free diet. So I was a bit wary of eating at a vegetarian restaurant. Their menu includes chicken, but, to be bold and daring, I ordered Papa's Portobello. It was delicious! Their beverages are as unique as their menu items. I had Hawaiian Tea, a glorious mixture of grape juice and black tea that seemed only to be sweetened with the grape juice. I must also confess to sampling the strawberry lemonade--yes, made fresh and a divine elixir!
Other things I really liked about the experience:
Things I really didn't like:
This little restaurant goes on my list. In fact, it goes to the top 5! Tim likes!
Sounds like a song, doesn't it!
Well, Last night I felt my third and fourth earthquakes since living here in Southern California. I had already fallen asleep but was immediately awakened with the house rumbling. The sound of the earth moving is quite unsettling--more than feeling the house shaking. I wondered if I needed to get out of the house, but there are trees and power lines all around. I assume being outside would be more dangerous. This quake was the first to "cause damage," pictured to the side, here at the house. Of course, I'm being overly dramatic.
A few minutes later was what I believed to be an aftershock, but what is reported as another earthquake.
I immediately checked Twitter to see who was tweeting what: where was the quake, how serious was it, who was being affected? But Twitter was non-responsive. Imagine that! So, after the adrenalin rush passed, i went back to bed.
This morning I learned several things:
It just keeps getting more and more interesting. Almost every day more news about proposition 8 hits the media outlets here in LA. I'm sort of over it. But lately, it's getting more interesting because it involves even larger issues than civil rights for minorities. Now, the entire election process is under siege!
Apparently a lawsuit has been filed by the supporters of Proposition 8 to order the Secretary of State's office to remove all donor information from their website, which it is required by California law to publish to meet campaign disclosure requirements. This has huge implications. I am a strong proponent of transparency in the workings of government, especially the election process, which the current campaign laws are designed to protect. Suddenly, extreme conservatives want to do away with campaign disclosure requirements? Why? What do they have to hide?
I certainly hope that people are not being physically threatened or physically intimidated in any way, on either side of this issue. That's just wrong. People are entitled to their opinions. I suspect that the reason for the lawsuit is more directly related to matters of commerce. Numerous businesses who have provided funding to support Proposition 8, even when many of their employees opposed it and had no idea of their employers financial support, have been boycott by those who opposed the ballot initiative. When 48% of the state population might boycott something, that can have serious business implications. In these difficult economic times, some businesses are apparently going bankrupt because of this while others are losing talented employees over it. Immediately after the election many were very boastful in the local media of their support of the proposition. Now, the tide seems to have turned dramatically. They don't want anyone to know.
And today the media reports that the California Fair Political Practices Commission (CFPPC), I didn't even know we have such a thing, is investigating the Mormon Church for allegations that it made vast non-monetary donations to the campaign that were not reported. Again, if true, this is a violation of campaign finance laws. As I've blogged before, I believe strongly that when any organization functions as a political action group (PAC), regardless of whether that organization supports or opposes any political position or candidate, that organization, in compliance with federal law, should not be tax exempt. And, I have always strongly believed that the separation of church and state must be maintained in our country, a position that has been assailed at every opportunity, to the long term detriment of this nation in my opinion, by this soon-to-end presidential administration.
And, for everyone who just can't get enough of a really bad thing, the lead council in the suit against the state to void all existing same sex marriages is, of all people, Kenneth Starr. Remember him? He was the Republican party's bulldog that, in my opinion, wasted millions and millions of tax payer dollars in the media spotlight trying to unearth some tidbit of financial scandal, that his very investigation actually proved never existed, against the Clintons. Instead, he gave the bloodlust machinery a sex scandal. Can't he just go away?! I had no idea he is a law professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu.
And one final interesting tidbit. This has probably been around forever and I'm the last to find out, but someone created a Google Maps mashup of the donors who supported Proposition 8. If one exists for those who opposed it, I am unaware of it. You can zoom in down to the street! Now that's transparency in campaign contribution disclosure! [Interestingly, earlier in that same newspaper, I learned of a Google Maps mashup showing the location of arrests because of gang-related criminal activity. Mental note: areas to avoid! The times in which we live...]
Los Angeles International Airport officials have updated earlier information regarding this morning's arrest: "A male Hispanic was detained and subsequently taken into custody at 12:20pm today by federal and local law enforcement officers who are investigating his attempt to bring several weapons plus ammunition into LAX. At 10:49 this morning, the man driving a grey 4X4 Silverado was stopped by Airport Police officers for a routine vehicle inspection at the intersection of westbound Century Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd., one of the main entrances into the passenger terminal area of LAX.[Source: Man with 30 Hand Guns, 7 Rifles, Ammunition Arrested at LAX]
Thirty handguns and 7 rifles, plus fully loaded ammunition magazines were found in the same container in the back of his pickup truck. The driver was arrested at 12:20 pm for weapons transportation violations and will be booked at Pacific Division LAPD."
I travel so much I haven't done much of anything here in the greater Los Angeles area to actually appreciate where I live. Well, I take that back. I do walk along the ocean with regularity. And I also ride my bike along the ocean as well. (Yesterday, for example, I rode over 10 miles.)
So today it was off to do a hike in Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. I was impressed with the beauty of the city of Pasedena. The area of the city I had visited before wasn't at all appealing to me. But these homes actually reminded me of Atlanta: they had yards!
At any rate, the hike route I took is shown above (I was wearing my GPS) and was slated as "easy." Well... The first mile in was an easy walk near the creek/river bed. You can see the picture of that area in the top photo of me above. (I know, rare to see me in a picture as I hate having my photo taken!) The last .5 was another matter entirely!
Hikers have probably a dozen creek crossings. At one of them I decided a wet foot was better than a broken one (from sliding off a very round rock). So I stepped directly into about a foot of rapidly flowing, very cold water. That shoe is still drying out.
And then there is another issue: the guidebook said the hike was 1.5 miles. However, the GPS I wore said I hiked 6.1 miles today. So here are the stats:
At the end of the trail hikers arrive at the base of about a 70 foot waterfall. At least the last part of the hike was in the shaded canyon itself. So the breeze was pleasantly cool as I clawed my way up and down boulders.
In the next day or so I hope to post a few more pictures of the area. Photography simply can not capture the grand scale of the canyon. If I get back to this place (I have others on the list), I'll shoot some 360º panos in here and wear some waterproof boots. But, for now, here's a shot of the waterfall.
I believe we need to return government to "of the people, by the people, and for the people"—not a radically new idea, really.
I invite you to explore Larry Lessig's Change Congress initiative.
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