Archive for October, 2010

Ask Google Maps for the route from Japan to China

(click to enlarge)

The last day with my little photo model, and in the absence of electricity we head for Starbucks. A clear “no photography” policy does not deter my wife who has an increasing list of scenarios yet to be captured, one of which is “child in coffee shop”. Bringing my studio lights into Starbucks is clearly not going to happen, neither is using flash, so I give thanks for the F1.7 aperture on the wonderful Panasonic 20mm lens.

Next to the bookshop which also does not take kindly to photographers, so I hide in an aisle and my wife keeps an eye open for roving staff. Not great photos, probably would have been more profitable just to nick a few books instead.

Then a candy store, a games machine, and a bubblegum dispenser.

Lunch at MK where I am required to take further snaps. Back home and power has been restored, and she who must be obeyed is all for firing up the studio lights and taking some more shots. But I need a rest, and anyway I want to make a little gift for my model before she departs for the evening. The only downside to her visit has been her constant rendition of a song by a small Canadian creep called Justin Bieber; something of a hit with pre-pubescent girls I understand. I suppress my distaste, download the song, and make it a soundtrack to a slideshow of some of her photos. This makes her very happy; and I feel OK once I have deleted the song from my hard drive.

Fun photo sessions and hope to do more next year.

A number of mails from readers asking what I was using to take the shots over the past few days. Not really, none of you lot give a shit how I take my photos; but I am going to tell you anyway because I just love to share things that nobody cares about.

Here is my state of the art photography studio (a.k.a. a corner of the spare bedroom):

Two main lights with intensity controls which I twirl on a random basis until I get something that looks OK expertly manipulate based on my years of experience. A small light behind the stool which throws light onto the backdrop (90 baht’s worth of linen hanging from some blue plastic piping). A flash trigger on top of the camera which should be a Hasselblad but is actually a GF1.

Today was to be our last day of studio shooting because a truck drove round the block today announcing with some glee that the electricity in the neighbourhood is to be turned off for eight hours tomorrow. Bastards. So she who must be obeyed swung into full creative mode and our young visitor was forced to supplement her breakfast with assorted healthy foods; milk, fresh water, a banana, and grapes which went down particularly well.

We then moved onto make-up of various types, game controllers, iPads (again) and finally cameras.

After three hours of solid shooting, I needed a break; so after lunch we headed out for a change of location. She who must be obeyed had brought along a large suitcase as a prop and we ended up at a railway station, and then on the rails. After that we did hitchhiking.

Little sister is a natural model and loves striking a pose. Even when we had finished she who must be obeyed’s punishing shooting schedule, she was still keen to to be photographed.

Finally, we went for an end of shoot coconut ice cream, by which time the light was fading and could not resist a few final shots of my favourite model.

I was planning for a restful day tomorrow before the sister goes home, but my wife is already preparing a schedule of things to shoot. Still won’t be enough and an invite has already been extended for the next school holidays. Hope I can finish processing the 1,500+ photos I have accumulated before she comes back!

All shots: Panasonic GF1 with 14-45mm or 20mm lens.

Some more sister shooting this morning, and we go through a batch of shots featuring an iPhone, then an iPad. She who must be obeyed is in charge of make-up and general sister management. She has also being doing some research and has nominated herself as creative director. She duly arrives with a collection of props and a long list of ideas. I am not sure of the market for some of her selections; but this is the “scared by what I see in binoculars while wearing a jacket” look.

Panasonic GF1, 14-45mm lens

Puzzles exist to be solved; so when I discover a new puzzle, I can attend to little else until it is solved. So it is with Trainyard, an iPhone game which plays very nicely at double size on the iPad.

Trains of various colours depart from stations and have to be sent to other locations; but with their numbers increased or decreased and their colours changed. You lay the track to make it happen.

As with all such amusements, the challenges are initially easy, and become progressively harder. I spent too much of yesterday working through the levels and now have four puzzles unsolved, each of which I deem close to impossible. Going to b a long day.

Trainyard was developed by Matt Rix in his spare time. Sales were slow in coming, but now it tops the charts and he is presumably a rich man. You can read his story here.

I have the time, all I need is an idea for a game and an ability to program. How about a Pattaya-themed shooting game called “Hunt the Hooker?”