SCINTILLATION

posted by Jaitu at 18:26

SCINTILLATION, by Xavier Chassaing, is described as "... an experimental film made up of over 35,000 photographs. It combines an innovative mix of stop motion and live projection mapping techniques." SCINTILLATION is a simple yet beautiful short film. I particularly like the final shots where lights seem to chase themselves around the detail of some plasterwork. it reminds me of colour cycling animation in Deluxe Paint when I used to play with the Commodore Amiga.

The music in the clip is provided by Fedaden and clearly borrows from Jacques Loussier's jazz arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Air on the G String before heading swiftly off in a more experimental direction.

SCINTILLATION from Xavier Chassaing on Vimeo.

More Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse

posted by Jaitu at 21:04

Another superb piece of time-lapse photography using tilt-shift lenses. Keith Loutit has been to a monster truck show and shot some great footage of the enormous 'toy' cars in action.

Metal Heart from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Google Hosts LIFE Photo Archive

posted by Jaitu at 07:53

Google is hosting the photographic archive of LIFE Magazine. The collection includes photographs and etchings dating back as far as the 1750's. The archive is still being populated and once complete should hold in the region of 20 million images. It is fully searchable (naturally, this *is* Google) and each entry has it's own page with additional information. It's an enormous and diverse collection of images and most of them at reasonably high resolutions too.

Go take a look: http://images.google.com/hosted/life

Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse

posted by Jaitu at 20:59

I have a passing interest in photography and movie making, though I've never gone so far as to make a movie. The following clip is an example of two techniques I find fascinating combined in a fantastic sum-of-it's-parts result.
Tilt-shift lenses allow narrow bands of focus to be enforced in photos taken over large distances. In effect this gives everything the appearance of being a miniature model photographed in macro.
Time-lapse is the art of taking photos (or movie frames) at extended regular intervals and then playing them back in sequence allowing giving the impression of sped up activity.
The following clip combines both which results in a bizarre miniature Sydney under the microscope.

Bathtub III from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Video Shot With 360 Degree Panoramic Lens

posted by Jaitu at 19:02

I stumbled upon this video that has been around a little while and was suitably impressed by it. It's shot using a lens that captures a full 360 degree panoramic view.
I'd very much like to find out more about that. There is a quite a clear and prolonged shadow of the hardware visible on the guy with the headband from around 1 minute and 13 seconds in that suggests the camera is aim upwards at a mirror. Quite likely the support structure is hidden between the sides of the image.
[UPDATE: Probably something along these lines: 0-360 Panoramic Optic™. You have to 'Unwrap' the captured image which would add a fair bit of post processing to any video sequence.]
I suspect that a lot more could be made of it but this is a pretty good proof of concept. The track isn't too bad either. It's got a good beat.

Cut Chemist - 1st Big Break from eyestorm on Vimeo.

Found on : DesignLlama

Progress?

posted by Jaitu at 21:11

A few things have happened in recent weeks. No doubt a few more things will happen in the coming weeks. In an effort to, once again, force a dangerously weak crutch under the blog to give only the most superficial appearance of some activity, I'll mention some of them now and maybe (read: never) return to them later.

Work finally began on our conservatory. Long-story-short...
We paid the deposit last August.
Everything that could delay us did delay us.
Building standard/regulations oversights were identified.
Plans were re-drawn and the glazing to brick work ratio was increased.
Construction began in the latter half of April.
We hit an unexpected sewer cover.
There was a trivial boundary dispute which has transformed a formerly ambivalent neighbourly relationship into a slightly uncomfortable acceptance of proximity.
Work stopped.
Plans were re-drawn and the conservatory was reduced in size.
Work has now begun again.

Friends of ours were married a week and a half ago. The awful weather forecast for the big day proved to be inaccurate and the sun stayed resolutely bright and visible until everything had moved inside for the evening. I was asked to take some photos during the day from which I hope the happy couple find something to like. I'm not so pleased with them but it's the first, and probably last, wedding I've taken any photos at. I enjoy taking pictures but the responsibility is not something I relish.

The Groom, no longer able to contain the emotion of the day, unleashes latent super-powers on the dance floor.

My wife and I have just come back from a week in Dubai. It was hot, relaxed and fantastic. We'd both like to return and maybe we will in a few years time. I shot some shaky footage on my point-and-shoot digital still camera while on a Desert Safari and will try to get some of that available on the blog later along with some snaps and more information about the trip.

A photo that completely fails to convey the size of the dunes we were tearing through.

My Mother-In-Law has booked her ticket and will be staying with us for a month over the summer. This will be the first time one of the in-laws has been to England and my Wife is almost uncontrollably excited by the prospect. It does, of course, mean that we really have to get our spare room cleared and made good as a guest bedroom before AussieMum arrives in July.

So, I may return with more on some of these things. I may also not.

Dog Tales

posted by Jaitu at 17:41

Some years ago there was minor scandal in The States when a university photoshopped a student of ethnic descent into a promotional group photo in order to show diversity and impartiality. Far more recently there has been scandal of an even more minor scale in the U.K. where some Minister for Health (or similar) was added to a group photo suggesting he was present at a function he had in fact missed.
This very morning the company I work for sent out the electronic copy of the corporate news letter. Somewhere near the back page was a story telling how a dog had survived being hit by a car on a highway in America and the efforts made by employees to support the non-profit organisation that has been taking care of it. The caption that went with the photo was "[dog] poses with [woman]". I've removed the names obviously but the important part is that the Dog was posing *with* the woman. Even taking into account the sad fact that the dog is currently awaiting surgery to amputate a damaged leg I suspect that there is a certain falsehood to this picture.
See if you can spot it.

Wedding pictures by a professional

posted by Dean at 16:36

Right so you've all had a sneak preview of the 'professional' photographer's photos.

Now they are good, but sometimes some of us simply have a little bit more flair when it comes to handling a camera.

May I present my excellent tutorial on how to take wedding pictures.








Class.

Four Months And More

posted by Jaitu at 18:33

I had an email from a friend recently asking me how the wedding went and whether I'd put any photos up yet. I was slightly shamed that I had not yet made any pictures available. So I'm putting that right now.
Here's a small selection from the set taken by our wedding photographer Sash from Desiren and SashPhotography. Sash was excellent, putting us at ease and taking some fantastic photographs.

Yuyatwi

posted by ElDiablo at 20:45

I know some of you guys are both into seeing the world and photography - or at least into buying cameras - so I thought you might enjoy having a look at the work of this fella, a friend of a very special person to me, who has been doing exactly that, travelling the globe and snapping his camera at it with some truly awesome results. I reckon he is very talented, and I admit I know nothing about photography but then again as John "I'm the bloody Pope" Cleese said I know what I like. See what you think, you are encouraged to leave your comments on the website - but if you do then write something meaty for God's sake, don't embarrass me with some "very nice photo" kind of blandness, c'mon let the beauty of the images touch you and tell all about it - or at least get into photo-geek mode and discuss really really hardcore stuff like light levels, exposure time or whatever.

More here and here (both in Spanish).

Thumbnail of Antelope Canyon composition reproduced with the author's permission. © Roberto Carlos Fernandez Gonzalez, all rights reserved.

What a Royal Cock

posted by Dean at 15:42

I just had to take this picture.
Walking around Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan (as you do) I spotted a huge bunch of Syrians all with the same track suit on, obviously over for some sports competition of some sort.

Their slogan doesn't necessarily translate too well...

Tokyo

posted by Dean at 09:18

As I'm off to Tokyo in a few weeks, I was interested to see a HDR picture of the night-covered city scape appearing on a few blogs.

Check out bigger sizes here - it's definitely worth it.

It seems you need a camera with a decent exposure range, but to be honest, I know next to nothing about photography and digital cameras.

I've got a Sony Cybershot DSC-N2 which anyone with any knowledge of photography would probably laugh at. I've no need for an SLR or anything as I hardly ever take any pics.

Discussions on the Photoshop HDR plug-in and the best cameras to use can be found here.

Related Products:

Nikon Imaging | support&service | digitutor

posted by Jaitu at 08:03

Nikon D70 Digitutor online user guide.

Clicky Click - No Whir

posted by Jaitu at 11:52

At around 9 this morning a very friendly DHL man knocked at my door and delivered my new Nikon D70 DSLR.
I am happy.

I Love The Sound Of Breaking Arms

posted by Jaitu at 10:50

Is that the sound of popping ligaments?

Very early this morning I ordered a D70.

I really should not be allowed access to credit cards after midnight.

Shutter Lag

posted by Jaitu at 01:05

Kahoona7 just bought himself a Nikon D70 and though I hate to admit it I am jealous. I shouldn't be because it's not like I use the cameras I own let alone have any justifiable reason to want another. But I have to say this is a beautiful piece of hardware. It feels good just to hold it. It makes you think
'If I had one of these bad boys I'd take pictures all the time!'
That was my thinking on the last two cameras I bought and it turned out not to be true for either of them. Some day I'll get a proper digital SLR and not use it. Just not today. It doesn't help me that N is so damned good about these things either. She never says
'Why do you need one?'
She always says
' If you want one, why don't you get one? I can give you some money towards it for your birthday.'
At £600 I'll skip it for now. But I'll have to be strong, my arms are weak and twist easily.