Paris through a Pinhole

www.nyclondon.com/blog.

This is one of the best example of B&W photography I've found on the internet so far. The subjects are from all over the world, from Britain and France to Australia. The work is very artistic and expressive... great avatar stuff.

kamster

A Better Shot III: Film Speed

You know, a couple weeks ago I asked my peeps about my camera and it's apparent inability to take photos in low light conditions.

Scott emailed me and asked if he could find a way to fix it.

"Can I take a look at that?"
"Yeah, sure."
"... Ok never mind"

Crap! Ok so I did some research, and I actually did find a way to at least mitigate the effects of camera shake and slow shutter speeds in low light conditions. Ok so basically this is how cameras work; the slower the shutter speed, the more light is let in, the longer the exposure and the higher chances of blurring are. When there is an abundance of light (for example on a very sunny day), the film speed is automatically set to high, because the lens does not have to be open for a long time (whereas in low light conditions, a longer exposure must be used to capture more light). However, a longer exposure almost inevitably means blurring (unless of course you are using a tripod), and even more so if your subject is mobile (which of course they almost always are, in my field of... photography).

So... the way to fix this... is to set your ISO higher. What this does is decrease the amount of time the lens is open and (in digital cameras) increase the sensor's.... sensitivity to light. What this means, is that you have a fast shutter that produces a relatively well-lit shot, even in low conditions.

However, increasing the ISO not only increases the sensor's sensitivity to light, but also decreases it's sensitivity to colour and tone. Therefore, your picture will come out relatively sharp but grainy and with more noise. This can be annoying especially if you're taking a picture in a very dark place, but in places where the light is just a little less than is required for a 1/10 or 1/13 of a second shutter speed, a higher ISO works great (Ok yeah by now, I absolutely hate AUTO mode).

Hope that helped.

kamster

I may post pictures giving examples later.

Oh and... you may have realized that A Better Shot isn't actually weekly... try... bimonthly.

Collect the Moments, One by One

Huah huah huah. I am just way too lazy. I haven't had time to blogz lately and I don't think I will have much time in the future, either.

Hum dee dum, Cafe Blanc went awesome. As usual, being a crazy stage-fright person, I tried hard to stay away from the mic (which happened to be a good thing because I did mess up once)... people told me they couldn't hear me during the last couple choruses but at least they could see me. But yeah... first 2 verses and choruses? Awkward standing and looking around. Wow that was weird.

Holiday Concert was great too. Hehe, Tudor is stupid and is probably going to get kicked off stage crew for messing up the lights... "Could someone please turn these lights on right above us?" Stupid Michael being a douchetard. I like how he knocked down the mic and got yelled at by Isaac and the dude in the hat. And Isaac lost his guitar? That's just gotta suck.

In other news, leaving for Cuba soon... Hopefully we don't run into any secret communist police people eager to harass Canadians; sheesh. Cuba is communist... isn't it? Oh and after that... Lake Eerie FTW! Yesss... I am excited but I gotta get my

1. jacket,
2. board bag,
3. and helmet

before that. Sheesh hopefully I can pick it up sometime soon.

K, Candygrams! I have a feeling like I should have realized this earlier, but this year, I'm not going to do any of this stupid like... "merry christmas and a happy new year =D. Love, kamster" kinda crap. I mean, no one really wants that right? In any case, it doesn't help. And I think I need to buy more... hopefully this doesn't sound like cocky or crap but 14 is definitely not enough.

Oh and I got my snowboard fixed up at the shop. It's nice... black... with a seashore decal on the tail and a nice map decal on the front. Hmm. The bindings match, hopefully my jacket will match it too? Although, it does look a bit used (on account of it being handled by hundreds of people over like... 3 years); just a couple scratches and such.

And yessssss classes are almost over. I'm definitely going to go to the holiday breakfast; it's like the friggin highlight of the year, hehe. And this week... what's with the stupid surprise tests, quizzes and papers due? It seems almost as though the teacher's pile stuff on us during the last days just to make the holidays seem that much further away.

But as the old saying goes, "they can make it harder but they can't make it longer."

kamster

Drinking Cheap Red Wine

UGH! The frustration.

My delegate application was rejected. I was so sad. But I shouldn't really fret too much because in the end, it was myself who decided not to go to UMA. Stupid me. Although, there were other people who didn't go either and made it. And she herself said that my application was good! Hers was obviously better ("The written part doesn't count, its all about how good you speak", ok yeah right bs). But let's not be bitter eh? Hopefully... (ugh) next year I'll get in. Geez I really don't have that many years left do I?

Hmm. I've had piles of work lately... not to mention all my stupid extracurriculars. Sometimes I really wonder how everyone else manages. I mean, I'm not even doing a sport this year and I still find myself waking up at 5:30 at least 3 or 4 times each week. Is this normal? But when I look past the sleepy GO train rides and grumpy wake-ups, I feel proud of everything I have undertaken this year. A true departure from myself of past years.

Speaking of which, my twig people photos are due at the end of the month... (isn't that tomorrow??) and so are my French pieces, which I haven't even started on (this is like déja vu from October too). I'd best learn not to procrastinate. Oddly, in F2 and M3 I would always scorn procrastinators ("Dude its not that hard to do it; just start on the day its assigned!") but now I find myself leaving it all last minute. I even sent my delegate application 5 minutes before the deadline. Let's hope I can manage my time better.

Cafe Blanc auditions today... Apparently, we did good (according to my fellow instrumentalists) but I really couldn't hear Alice or myself so... I dunno. But compared to that other guy playing some classical piano piece, I think we have a decent chance of getting in. All that practicing and stressing must have paid of after all.

Getting my snowboard this weekend, hopefully. It's under $200 and looks decent... Sort of like David's except it's beige, not black. Too bad I can't find it on the net (it's a late model). Hope they can give me a discount =P.

kamster

Music [ To the Ears ]

Ahhh the world of mp3 players. I'm pretty sure there are mp4 players now too?

Anyways, lets talk sound bytes. My only mp3-playing device (which of course plays alot of other file formats also) is an old model (I can't even find it on the net anymore) at least 5 or some odd generations back. It has 256 megabytes of memory (which is tiny compared to what the mp3s of today can hold) and fits in the palm of my hand. It is circular, and is black ringed with orange. I originally got another silver mp3 around four years ago from Sony as well, but it broke. So I used the warranty to get myself another one. This one was only marginally better, and still had the same dismal amount of storage space. But for someone like me, 256 megabytes is sometimes enough. Why? Because I find keeping my library updated too time-consuming. And using limewire makes me feel bad. So, I stuck with this 256 megabyte player, and it has suited me fine so far.

But if you're a serious audiophile, I'd suggest something that has more memory and more features. For example, Sony's current model of mp3 player holds 8 times as many songs as mine does and costs 1/3 as much as mine did. Oh well. Just buy an 8 gigabyte iPod nano because they are just too cool.

Yeah I woke up early today.

kamster

Delegation

I submitted my SOMA App. Cross your fingers that I'll make it (and that they won't notice I didn't go to UMA... or go to Debate Society).

kamster

Golden

These ideas are nightmares to white parents
Whose worst fear is a child with dyed hair and who likes earrings
Like whatever they say has no bearing
Its so scary in a house that allows no swearing
To see him walking around with his headphones blaring
Alone in his own zone, cold and he don't care
He's a problem child, what bothers him all comes out
When he talks about his fuckin' dad walkin' out'
Cus he hates him so bad that he locks him out
If he ever saw him again, he'd probably knock him out
His thoughts are whacked, he's mad so he's talkin' back
Talkin black, brainwashed from rock and rap
He sags his pants, do rags and a stocking cap
His stepfather hit him so he socked him back
And broke his nose, this house is a broken home
There's no control, he just lets his emotions go

{C'mon} Sing with me,
{Sing}, sing for the years
{Sing it} Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
{C'mon}Sing it with me, just for today, maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away...

number 1

kamster

Delicate Deception

Oh man.

We humans are such impressinable creatures, are we not? Prone to sudden infatuations and crushes, to the exclusion of all else. Such is the nature of sin; we know what we're getting ourselves into, but we simply cannot look past the masks and disguises. Just like in that book; they know when their friends are decieved, but for the sake of themselves are blinded.

Hmm... today there are no classes. Yesterday they ended at twelve. How nice! But right now I've got to work on my SOMA application... due today at 12! Hopefully I can convince that my lack of MUN experience won't hinder my performance.

Oh, and fellowship today too. What are we doing? Better be something good >>.

kamster

*edit
Not sin, just something that we know we'll regret.

Apologies

Wow.

Sorry >< I've been so lately busy and have had not time to write. Yeah, I've really got to re-prioritize right now. I realize lately I've been placing too much focus on trivial things and straying from things in my life that I should be paying attention to; that is... my work and school related relationships, to teachers especially. But other than that it's been ok. I've really been trying to keep my grades up and at the same time manage my other stuff like my church life and also my own leisure and stuff. Although, theres just too much stuff going on too think about that right now. Now I have just a few minutes to myself to think and write, and hopefully I can continue what I'm doing now and things will hopefully go uphill from here.

Also, I am SO excited for this winter season. I swear I saw a couple snowflakes the other day, and that really gets my pulse racing. I will hopefully have many more chances to improve my technique than last winter, when I pretty much stagnated. I'm also totally excited for Blue, if that goes though (sorry Dr. Seus moment). And also... this thursday. Please. Wow, I missed SAW but im glad, because I probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a couple weeks at least. No school this friday, awesome.

And... I really want this jacket for winter, although it is pretty expensive: http://www.sportchek.ca/sportchek/do/style?menuId=260&styleId=43265

So please open up your heart and donate to kamster's Awesome New Snowboarding Jacket Fund (official charity number 1065728)!

kamster

Trick or Treat!!!

Happy belated Halloween!

I myself didn't go... I think I'm too old. I didn't give out candy either... I feel kind of bad but then again, I didn't really want kids ringing my doorbell all night long. There's too much work to go trick or treating anyways.

kamster

A Better Shot II: Learn to use Your Camera

Hey guys!

This is my second, "A Better Shot" post so far, and today I will be teaching you one of the most fundamental principals to taking better photos. In today's quickly advancing technological field, cameras with dozens of crazy features are the norm. Optical image stabilization, sports mode and manual white balance can all be found on a decent camera (probably around $150). And a simple way to take better photos is to know how to access and use these modes found on your camera (I may go into greater depth in future posts about how to use specific shooting modes).

Let me give you an example. My camera is a digital Panasonic DMC LS2. It is a basic point and shoot camera and has lots of features. Here... let's see. There is auto shooting mode, "simple mode" (for beginners), macro mode, sports mode, portrait, night portrait, starry sky and fireworks mode, just to name a few. For example; sports mode increases the shutter speed from around 1/150 or 1/200 on a sunny day to around 1/500 when there is sufficient lighting. This of course, can be very useful when taking pictures of a beach volleyball match or other outdoor sports game. The portrait mode enhances the "flesh tone" of a person's skin to reduce the visibility of blemishes and other marks. And of course, starry sky mode enables you to set the exposure from 15 all the way up to 60 seconds. As you know, my profile picture was taken using that mode on a 15 second exposure.

The point is, by using the proper features and settings at the appropriate time, you can get a much better picture than by just using "auto" mode. Here is an example:
















The top picture was taken using auto mode. The bottom picture was taken using the white balance setting "cloudy skies". Which one do you think looks better? The one on top, in my opinion, looks harsher and colder. In the bottom picture, the color tone of the sand is brought out more and the whole picture has a different feel. Although this might not be the best example, you get what I mean. Using these different modes can produce totally different photos than if you just use auto mode.

Here is another example; this photo of a Burton logo is very clear and sharp. It is easy to see the details of the printing and the textures of the bag. I took this shot using macro mode which enables you to take close up shots with good clarity and detail.

So before you sling your camera for your next camping trip, take a few minutes and get to know that 20-mode dial on top of your camera a bit better. Trust me, it will pay off.

kamster

Weird Pets

Wow. I believe that since the dawn of man, people have been fascinated with animals of all types, shapes and sizes for commercial, entertainment of industrial uses. However many of us see certain animals as more than just animals, we see them as pets. Cats, dogs, canaries and guppies are all common pets that people love to take care of. But have you ever heard of people having piranhas as pets??? I had never heard of that either. I always thought that it might be illegal to have ravenous, flesh-devouring fish as companions. However after looking up youtube videos the other day, I realize that many people do indeed have piranhas as pets, and furthermore take delight in feeding them live animals! Some might see this as cruel or inhumane to those poor mice but everybody's gotta eat right? Here is the link to a video with piranhas. But be cautioned; don't watch it if you have a weak stomach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McjCFRnjMNo

After watching this, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want piranhas as pets. What if one night I was sleepwalking and I accidently stuck my hand in the tank? That wouldn't be pretty would it?

kamster

Child Labour: A Sound Choice?

Child labour. What comes to mind when you hear these two words? Torture? Injustice? Prostitution? Today I will try my best to present to you both sides of this controversial topic. Should child labour be allowed? What should organizations like the Canadian International Development Agency do about these kinds of things? Should they impose bans or step back and let life take its course? Before we begin, lets state some facts. Child labour is:

1. The employment of children of children under an age determined by the country through a law or custom.



2. Considered exploitative and uncivilized by most modern countries



3. Widespread; over 200 million children aged 5 to 7 in this type of labour worldwide

But let's consider. Is it right? Well to be honest, there are lots of opinions on this topic. In general, most people when asked will respond that it is unethical and that it "violates the rights of the child". This statement is not totally true. In some cases, the child is forced to work, whether by physical or emotional threat, or by sheer need (to pay off debts is one example). However, there are also times when the labour is voluntary (in an instance where the child is earning money to pay for school supplies). Both cases are child labour but they are very different in nature. So the real answer is; it depends. Without a doubt, children should not be forced to work for 12 horus straight, chained to a loom, weavings sweaters for rich citizens in America for pennies a day. However it can, as previously mentioned, be a plausible and practical way to sustain one's education. Let's see what the UN's stance on this is.

"Child labour has serious consequences that stay with the individual and with society for far longer than the years of childhood. Young workers not only face dangerous working conditions. They face long-term physical, intellectual and emotional stress. They face an adulthood of unemployment and illiteracy."
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan

This brings us to our second point of contest; is it safe for children to work? Most people will answer immediately "No! Do you know how many children lose limbs working with machines in a hot factory each day???". In this, they are right; certain work places can be very dangerous. Exposure to hazardous chemicals is widespread in dye factories and machines in sweatshops all contribute the the yearly work injuries statistic. However, people do err in their assumptions that all child labour is detrimental to the childrens' health. Remember that child labour is simply defined as employment of children under a certain age. And of course, employment is not confined to back breaking labour for hours on end. Employment in a family business or even a self-run business selling fruits, for example, is considered child labour. Viewed in this light, child labour is not all bad. It can be a good way to earn money to support the family and also to purchase school supplies. So, child labour can be good or bad. It is simply that the situation determines the state of the child.

Thirdly, what is the effect of child labour on the child's education and his chances at getting future jobs? Obviously, working in a coal mine for 10 hours a day will have a serious detrimental effect on both his health and his chances of getting an education. Assuming that he survives the years of coal dust building up on this inside of his lungs, he will probably be turned down from many job opportunities because he never had a chance to go to school. However, other child labour like family employment or weekend jobs do not conflict with morning or afternoon classes during the week, and are a plausible course of action for a child in need of money.

Now, what are developed countries like Canada doing about child labour, and is what they are doing having a positive effect on the situation? As previously mentioned, child labour can be either beneficial or detrimental to a child's economic and financial status. However, what should always be protected are the children's rights. The CIDA (A CanGov agency) protects children's rights through its Action Plan on Child Protection. Because of the number of children who work around the world and the effects that work can have on children's development, helping child labourers is one of CIDA's priorities. Protecting the children's rights and respecting their decisions to work is key to preventing black market deals that include selling children into the slave trade and the prostitution business. First hand experiences have shown that imposing strict bans on child labour does not work in most cases, and in fact will worsen the situation. However, working together with local governments is a good course of action and may lead to a sound, plausible compromise.

So now that you (hopefully) know a little more about this widespread phenomenon, think before you immediately shout "CHILD LABOUR? YOU BARBARIAN!" to your neighbour the next time he mentions it =P

kamster

leave comments please!

A Better Shot I : Take Lots

Hey readers!

I was thinking, and since I'm really interested in photography that I'd start a weekly or so feature called A Better Shot. The goal of this feature is to show to prospective photographers and casual camera-toters how interesting and fun it is to bring your camera with you always. In this feature I will be giving you tips on how to literally, take better shots! So, here we go!

The first thing I must say about photo taking that is extremely important is to take lots of photos. Yes, that's right. Take lots. Although you may think that this is hassle, that it will take up space on your SD card and also on your computer's hard drive, it is well worth the few extra seconds spent uploading them. There is a very simple and rational reason for this. Yes, you may be a great photographer with an amazing camera but sometimes its really tough to get that perfect shot with the perfect lighting to use for your display picture. If you constantly think "OK I'll just take on shot and be on my way", many times you will miss opportunities to capture great sights just because you are afraid of filling up your camera's memory. But just think; isn't one or two great shots better than a load of crappy ones?

One good way to get around this is to simply increase the volume of pictures that you take daily. Don't be afraid to snap some shots of whatever catches your attention; those orange leaves perfectly positioned in that maple, the mist shimmering on the lake, whatever! Bring your camera with you always and instead of taking one shot of that Maserati, take ten! In this way, you increase your chances of getting that great shot that you will be able to treasure for months and years. I have a perfect case-in-point over there; my display picture (blur) was one of many that I took one night during a city drive. And it turned out great!

So, whadya waiting for? Get out there and get shooting!

kamster

[ Exposure ] Compensation

The first digital camera that I ever owned was a Panasonic Lumix DMC LS2. This was a camera that I purchased for my student activities and for casual picture taking. However, now that I look back, I realize I could have made a better choice. This camera is a decent "point and shoot", as they call them; however, it is not good enough for a professional photographer (this is why I am upgrading soon). However there are some good features to this camera. It has:

• 3x (to a maximum of 3.8x) optical zoom
• 5.0 megapixels (this was decent a few months ago when I acquired this camera but the standards are higher now)
• Many different scene modes (sports, food, portrait and night shooting to name a few)
• Motion Capture capability
• Simple Mode (for beginner camera users)

All of these features were attractive to me when I first was looking at cameras. However, after purchasing the camera, there are some things that I also dislike, and contributed to my decision to buy a new camera. Some of these are:

• Slower than I would prefer shutter speed (when using AUTO mode for taking pictures)
• Blur
• No sound capture for videos
• Some glitches (sometimes it freezes and tells me to turn it off and on)
• Sports mode doesn't increase the shutter speed enough to make it worthwhile
• Maximum ISO setting is 400 whereas it is 800 for most other cameras of the same line and/or quality.
• Picture acquiring program (included with camera) is sometimes difficult to use

This camera is good for the casual photographer, but I would personally recommend using it in daylight where the shutter speed will be higher (AUTO mode, outdoor shooting white balance) and a clearer picture will be produced. However, if you're more serious about capturing memories, then this is not the camera for you. Go for something a bit more expensive (or perhaps in the same price range, now, because as we all know, technology gets cheaper everyday) that will for sure have more features. Hopefully my next camera will have around 10 megapixels and sound capture as well. Hope this information was of help to any prospective camera buyers out there.

If you have further questions or need advice on how to take a good photo, give me a shout or leave a comment.

kamster

*edit*

My profile picture was taken with the Panasonic. I used the starry sky mode (because it enables you to set the exposure time from 15 seconds all the way up to 1 minute). I think it was set for 15 seconds when I took that shot.

No. 1

Hello and welcome to Up the Ante, my personal blog!

This site will be many things. Here is where I will occasionally write about my everyday happenings and different things I come across. This will include tips on photography, software, hardware, work and lifestyle choice reviews. Basically this is something that I like to call my "thoughtspace". Anything that piques my interest during the course of the day will be unloaded here and put into words. As well, you may find other tasy tidbits here; politics, social issues and work may recieve occasional posts on this site. Check back as often as you wish.

thanks!

kamster