A2W: photography

Kiel Johnson's collection of cardboard cameras smacks of creativity produced from readily available materials. A neat concept and what looks like a ton of fun for kids and adults.

[Via: LikeCOOL]

The site this came from is in French so I have little to no information on it's construction, but from the pictures it looks like an in intensely detailed build process.

[Via: Make]

It has a been a long while since I actually wrote about photography here. Yesterday my Christmas present arrived however and now it is all I can think about. The photo above was taken with the new camera. It is nothing special, but demonstrates one of the many advantages of the Canon s90 over my old jam. It has a faster lens speed (f2), which means better pictures indoors without the need for a flash. Previously a shot a night with only the lights from our house would have resulted in a blurry mess. We have ditched many a good shot of Kaden because it looked like someone smeared vaseline on the lens.

Of course I am not satisfied with just having a better camera now. I want lighting, not expensive stuff mind you, DIY stuff. LED's seem like the cheapest option, but ring lights and modified halogen work lights seem like worthy pursuits as well. There are a number of sites that I have been picking through in anticipation of my new toy. DIYPhotography, Strobist (which I have linked to previously) and Photojojo.

The photo to the right was taken with even less light (ceiling fan) than the one above and also demonstrates Kaden's favorite new hobby. Standing up on his own. We would have never gotten this shot before with the old camera. Considering we take probably three times more pictures this year than we did last, getting this camera makes it even easier to capture every stage of his development. If you can't tell I'm happy with our purchase. A few more shots are available at my gallery.

So I threw down a lofty gauntlet for myself two post ago to ride at least twice a month and to ride more miles in the current month than I did in the previous. Last year I made it to July before faltering. Well, I'm proud to announce that the month of January can be checked off. It will only get harder from here, but the weather will get warmer and more friends will come out of hibernation to pedal with me. Two weeks ago, last weekend and this weekend Grant and I braved Richmond's mild winter and extreme cold (22º) to cruise around the Fan and Riverside.

1/3/2009: 13.67 mile Patterson and Grove loop
1/10/2009: 23.31 mile West End to Riverside loop
1/17/2009: 19.01 mile West End to The Fan loop

The rest is in the photos...

January is time for facial hair and riding

First ride of the year

She has been unloved for so long

First saddle shot of the year

Rolling on Grove

To meet up with Landon

Group shot

Ride no. 2 went through U. of R.

Under Huguenot Rd

Grant's new bars

VCU

22º at noon is cold with a "C"

Homeless is the new black

The rest...

Sunday morning at 6:30 am my alarm woke me to dark room and a tired body. The previous day had been spent from two in the afternoon till ten at night participating in and running portions of Grant and Erin's wedding. Beating the heat with a 7:30 start time Sunday sounded like a solid plan, but my body disagreed. I never had to stop, but it was the most tired I have been on a bike in a very long time. The heat was semi-beat and I was stomped. The rest is in the pictures...

At the half way point when the temperature started to rise

Russ

Mike

Adam

Adam's Surly

Russ's Rivendell

Mike's Bianchi

Fixed Gear Fame
I submitted a fixie I saw and snapped photos of last weekend to the FFG and it got put up yesterday. I'm e-famous on the shoulders of another Richmond resident and a cyclist at that!

Site Watch
There was a great article on wired yesterday about hypermilers that lead me to a more in depth article on the topic at mother jones. It reminded me that I need to get my tires up to the recommended pressure, get a better air filter and change my driving habits. I saw regular unleaded gas for $4.05 a gallon Saturday. Good God!

I came to the realization this week, that I dedicated post and time to chronicling my Cross Check build, but never shared the fruits of that labor. Imagine a newborns father casually brushing aside inquires into his fresh little miracle. I don't want to be that guy, strung out on meth, neglecting his many children and a restraining order against against 2 of his 3 baby's mommas. So in an effort to rectify my past transgressions, I am showing up on Christmas eve, off the stuff for a solid week, with a present under my arm...

Grant's BPW

Fort Harrison last weekend

Maiden voyage to Riverside

Riverside in May

Fort Harrison last weekend

Star and Checks

The wheels, the new saddle shot?

Shades of light at Ft. Harrison

Fort Harrison Gallery
This past weekend Grant and I rode out and back to Fort Harrison again. Some of pictures above come from that ride, but there are many more on my photo gallery.

Site Watch
If I wanted to pursue it I know I could get a business card from my company. Similar to a black berry though it might mean having to do more work on non business hours. I'll pass for now, but should I get a tingle for more paper in my wallet in the future I would like my corporate masters to consider some of these options.

P.S.
Is this post my clip show?

I wrote about my cycling origin almost two months ago after inspiration struck from a photo of my grandfather. It included how I learned to ride and riding as a youth, but also included the second chapter in my two wheeled life, mountain bike racing. Along with fond memories of those times, I also keep an album of my adventures in my office. To that end I am in the middle of getting cycling photos, new and old, together for a wedding present for Grant. Mehtul was kind enough to take these analog photos and digitize them for me...so I can turn them back to analog for the album, crazy no?

So with out further ado, I present old mountain bike photos...

Poor Farm 99: Grant, Me and Mike M.

Poor Farm 00: Grant and Me

Poor Farm 00: Me and a Climb

Poor Farm 00: Grant and a Creek Crossing

Poor Farm 00: Grant and a Winter Climb

Poor Farm 99: Me and a Dirt Jump

The rest can be found in my photo gallery and should not need much of a description. I should be done with the album soon and with Grant and Erin's wedding fast approaching I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Site Watch
Not really a site you should watch on a regular basis, but something worth checking out for funzies. Steampunk computer mods are all well and good, but a true geek likes a good steampunk watch.

When I arrived home yesterday there was large box waiting for me. It would have been like Christmas if I didn't know what it was and it wasn't so damn functional. I have needed fenders in the worst way since completing the check almost two months ago. The majority of the rides I have been on with my new toy have been in the rain or post precipitation. This leaves me covered in rain water at best and a slurry of mud, grease, pesticides and human milkshake at worst. In step the fenders to make my bike slightly less cool, slightly more geeky and supremely functional.

Last night was game four of the Penguins v. Flyers series. So in between the second and third period I set my cell phone alarm and went out to the sun room to install the front fender...

Parts unpacked and spread out

Front fender assembled

Front fender installed (still needs a little tweaking)

Back to hockey with rear fender left wanting

Today is the start of the Lebanese food festival in the far west end. Among other things this weekend I will be grubbing all three days on kibbi, zalabia and shawirma. After dinner at the festival tonight I will hopefully come home and install the rear fender in preparation for a ride tomorrow morning.

Site Watch
Sam Adam's apart from making a killer beer takes pretty pictures too, especially of bikes.

Grant's bachelor party weekend has come and gone. We rode to and camped at Bear Creek lake with seven good friends. There was much laughter, pain and good stories to be had, but those will have to wait for a follow up "stories" post on Wednesday. Images can tell most of the story for now, so I will let them tell their tale...

8am start and group shot

On the road to Oilville

Oilville for food and Matt's bits

Corn dogs!

The man of the hour

Landon and I

Hose got hops

Our rides

On to the prison

Yeah, I said prison (more on Wednesday)

Then it rained a lot

Prison bridge in the rain

Another stop for food

More corn dogs

Grant and his ride

More of Matt's bits

Landon and his ride

Landon and his roses

Butterfly!

Me and my ride

Flat tire

Macro shot flat change

Waterfalls and my new Brooks

Gravel roads and my new Brooks

Landon climbing in the gravel

We finally made it to the site (5:30pm)

Time to light a fire and relax

Smores and facial hair

Matt and Mike

Landon, Bill and Chris

Grant

About to call it a night

6:30am time for coffee

Grant, Mike and Me (I need coffee bad)

Chris and Bill do too

Good morning wheels of steel

Hose (Matt) and his ride

Bill is a passionate man

Chris, Bill, Me, Grant, Landon, Matt, Mike

Bad knees and mental fatigue mean a ride home in a car

Grant and I were luck enough to get picked up by our ladies

The weekend was over too soon, but a crazy good time. The four that rode to Bear Creek were too beat and injured to tough it out a second day so we got rides home. The ride there was epic though and I will have stories about the prison, bodacious! and more on Wednesday.

All of the Photos

Mehtul's Mux