The World Is Raw » Photography

My List For 2009

Rob — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:10:55 +0000

My Final List For 2009

As the final day of 2009 has less than 7 hours left, I made sure to write a list of personal things I want to remember. A small portion of this list is above.

The Surface Of An Alien Planet

Rob — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:33:58 +0000

Water Evidence On An Alien Planet – As Seen From An Orbiting Satellite

Back in the 1970′s, NASA launched a series of deep space probes. Mostly forgotten today, some of them have finally managed to reach planets outside our own solar system. The image above was taken from 150 miles above the surface of a planet named “NIROBI”. The visible geographic features could be giant, wind-swept sand dunes or even a series of canyons made by liquid water.

Custom Camera Strap For Sale On Ebay

Rob — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:06:26 +0000

Custom Camera Strap For DSLR’s & Video Cameras

This strap will change the way you think about camera straps forever!
This strap is worn across the body, like a bandolier of machine gun ammunition. Think about Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies, or an M60 machine-gunner in any Vietnam War movie.
- Once connected, your camera is securely held by the FREE 200PL tripod plate and the all metal trigger snap.
- The D-ring is very secure, and won’t release it’s grip from your camera, or the screw it is attached to. 16 gauge steel will hold whatever camera you have.
- Now, think of yourself like a gunslinger, the pad is on your left shoulder and your camera is at the ready on your right hip… You are Billy The Kid… Grab & draw!
- The trigger snap glides along the strap so you can easily take the shot.
The strap is 1″ polypropylene webbing, 72″ in length and offers the following benefits:
- 600 pound test strength.
- It does not absorb water, so when it gets wet, it dries quickly and is far superior to nylon in avoiding mold and mildew.
- It does not stretch, so it is an excellent choice for straps that need to stay tight once pulled tight.
- Polypropylene floats in water. That might not seem like a big deal, but IF you happened to be out on the water for a photography shoot and IF your camera was in a waterproof housing, attached to the strap, and IF you dropped it in the water, you will have a few precious extra seconds to grab your camera before it sinks.
- Polypropylene has better UV resistance than nylon and does not fade as readily in the sun. That means your strap will stay JET BLACK for a long time!
The strap is adjusted with a heavy duty strap adjuster. The non-adjustable side is sewn with heavy duty thread.
The camera “glides” along the strap via a metal trigger snap, powder coated in flat black. The exaggerated release makes it easy to operate the release. This snap hook is superior to standard leash style hooks because it is very difficult for the release to catch on something and open accidentally.
A 200PL/3157N quick release tripod plate is included. This plate attaches via your camera’s tripod mount screw and the snap hook then connects to the D-ring on the underside of the plate. This gives you the added benefit (if you are the owner of a tripod with a quick release mount) of quickly disconnecting your camera from the strap and placing it directly on your tripod! So, you can sling the camera on the strap, disconnect it, put it on a tripod and reconnect to the strap without any effort at all!
Two adjustable cam buckles can be positioned anywhere along the length of the strap. One is placed behind the trigger snap to prevent your camera from sliding too far around your back, and the other is placed in front. The front cam buckle can be easily positioned along your chest to allow the camera to glide along the strap. You can even position your camera in front of you, thanks to having TWO cam buckles!
The trigger snap, strap adjuster and cam buckles can all be operated with one hand.
The REMOVABLE shoulder pad is 13″ long by 4″ wide and provides relief from the weight of your camera. It is neoprene over molded foam and is made by Planet Waves. It is great for those of you that have REALLY heavy glass.
Free shipping via USPS First Class Mail to anywhere in the USA! If you order 1 or 100 straps, the shipping is free!
$15 flat rate shipping to anywhere OUTSIDE the USA for Priority Mail International!

This rate is for USPS Priority Mail International and includes tracking & delivery confirmation. Your strap will reach you in 6-10 days anywhere on the planet!

You have two ways to purchase this camera strap for $39.99. It is available for sale on eBay, and right here on this website. eBay users may click on the eBay widget above or any of the photos is this post to go directly to the eBay listing. If you are not an eBay user, or would simply prefer to pay with PayPal or any major credit or debit card, please click on the BUY NOW button below:

Purchase via PayPal For $39.99:

South Bay Power Plant

Rob — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:52:45 +0000

South Bay Power Plant On A Colorful Night

South Bay Power Plant

The southeast area of San Diego Bay is the home of South Bay Power Plant. It is not a desalination plant. Somehow, back in October I got it in my head that this facility removed salt from seawater. I took a night picture of it and wrote a blog post about it, titled, Night & Day With Salt & Dinosaurs, but it turns out it was factually incorrect. Oh well. This new and better information called for a new and better photo. The shot on the left is the image from the post I just mentioned.

I like the colors and the composition of the newer shot are much better than the first. I was still over a mile away, from the power plant , so you have to give it up for the super-zoom! This was a 10 second exposure, with my camera sitting on a thick fencepost made of brick.

Some slow shutter speed photography tips are: Turn off any anti-shake features on your camera, use a tripod and use the 2 second shutter release delay. If you don’t have your tripod, then set the camera on a firm surface. Multi-second exposures can not be hand held!

Silver Strand Car Accident

Rob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:42:38 +0000

This Guy Drove His Mustang Into Southbay

It was an action packed half hour in Southbay San Diego on Sunday! About a half mile south of the South Bay County Biological Study Area, just north of the point where Palm Ave. meets up with Silver Strand Boulevard, some poor soul drove his mustang into the Southwestern tip of San Diego Bay. A San Diego Police helicopter circled overhead, a tow truck arrived, and most users of the Bayshore Silver Strand Bikeway stopped to see this intruder into the bay. This guy was driving way too fast, lost control, and spun out into the bay. Technically, I think he ended up on the nature preserve at the extreme south end of San Diego Bay.

Waiter, There’s A Car In My Bay!

All things being equal, how often do you see a mustang, police, sheriffs AND a white heron all in the same photo? What a bummer though, right? I would also make the assumption that the driver is in the military because some MP’s showed up a little later as well. A tow truck pulled the car out without incident, and a San Diego Police helicopter supervised from overhead for a few minutes. After that, things returned to normal, and a cloudless sunset followed.

Excitement At Southbay County Biological Study Area

Watching this helicopter swoop, dive and circle overhead reminded me that I have always wanted to learn how to fly a helicopter. Of course, I could be wrong, but to me they seem like the motorcycles of the sky. Motorcycles of course, being way cooler than cars.

About 3 Miles North & 3 Hours After The Accident

As the final sunset of the weekend approached, I hustled north on the Bayshore Silver Strand Bikeway, towards downtown San Diego. I was on the East side of Silver Strand Boulevard, so the fence that denotes the Eastern edge of Silver Strand State Park was in my way, but the sunset was still very easy on the eyes.

Palm Springs – Redux

Rob — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:46:29 +0000

Just A Scene With A Lot Of Color

My first post on this blog was a short record of my trip to Palm Springs in May, 2009. Due to all the hustle and bustle of a new website, the photos that did not make the original grade had been more or less forgotten. Three lucky pics are now given a chance to see the world for the very first time.

Desert Riders Motorcycle Club Members

Although the grain of photoshop film degrades the detail a bit, I like this shot because texting on cell phones, drinking powerade and applying sun screen occupies the minds of these suburban bike riders. The one in the middle looked right at me, then continued texting.

I Call This A Color Sandwich

Nothing more to add. I just wanted to post these four pictures. Feel free to look at my very first blog post by clicking here.

One Does Want A Hint Of Color

The windmill in the middle is my favorite one. It is frozen into a perfect viewing position. Anyways, hover over the tag cloud below to rotate it, and then click on any tag that strikes your fancy.

San Diego Sunset & The Bridge To Nowhere

Rob — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:42:57 +0000

$26 Million Bridge To Nowhere & San Diego Sunset

I really have no idea why this bridge is being built. What you see in the foreground is the mast that the pedestrian bridge will be suspended from. It will span the trolley tracks, over Harbor drive in downtown San Diego. $26 million dollars so that residents of Paris Hilton’s hotel can get to Petco Park without having the pesky inconvenience of walking all the way to 5th Ave. to cross the street. It will shave about 800 feet of distance for these glorious people. Considering the price tag and taking simple math into account, we the OTHER people are paying $32,500 for every step the Hilton folk are taking. So, Harbor Drive In San Diego has a very impressive bridge to nowhere that is, kind of expensive.

12th & Imperial Trolley Station

Rob — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:48:56 +0000

After Midnight At 12th & Imperial Trolley Station, Neon Is Your Friend

I swear to the the creator that it really was a dark and foggy night! Shut up! It was so foggy that you could not see more than 50 feet in front of you, and it was so late that ALL the San Diego Trolley police had gone home for the night. The sodium halogen lights above and the neon lights in the photo above were the only earthly things separating the world of light from the debauchery of the world of night. Due to to abundance of shady characters and the lack of trolley security guards, I was only able to snap a few shots. For those of you that do not understande what I am saying, trying to snap some pics, on the sly, after midnight at the 12th & Imperial Transit Station. I would have felt more at ease if I was trying to take a dump on the White House Lawn.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock – Late At Night The Trolley Can’t Come Soon Enough

Harvest Moon 2009

Rob — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:46:56 +0000

The Biggest Moon Of The Year Just Didn’t Cooperate

This post will be a little bit different because it will offer a view of the man behind the curtain. October 4th was the actual harvest moon for 2009, but nothing was falling into place, photographically. I had no tripod and the moon was already well above the horizon by the time I set out, so I felt like I had failed. The once a year harvest moon was not properly photographed by me because I was late out of the blocks. What can I say? It wasn’t until I was entering my pad that I saw the spider above, huge and fluttering on it’s web in a very stiff evening breeze. I tried to capture, in camera, the spider, against the moon, but the wind was so strong and my hand so unsteady that I could not quite get the metering I hoped for.

My Mad Photoshop CS4 Skills Had Failed Me

I attempted to use my digital darkroom to recreate what my eyes had seen, but it was to no avail. The image size had to be reduced so that I would not look like an imbecile, posting photos that were nothing more than hacks or garbage. Hopefully, you can still get an idea of what I was trying to do, even though I failed to do it.

It’s Important Not To Hide When You Fail

Yet fail is what I did, yet again with this web. The spider, on his web was moving aroung in the breeze so much that use=ing my on camera flash was the only way I could could any detail. The problem was that using the flash blew out the spider, so it was a pure white mess. My solution was to crop as much of the web as I could and that mirror image it so it would look like I had done a grander job than I actually had. Don’t tell!

What Would My Role For This Moon Have Been 1000 Years Ago?

I actually like this shot, even though it is just a glorified snapshot, and won’t make me any money. The moon has a sense of scale with the trees and the clouds. It lights up the sky and clouds but not the trees. It is huge and it was captured by me. Yes!

San Diego Trolley Police Were Wrong

Rob — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:56:44 +0000

Trolley Police Have No Right To Prohibit Photography

The proof is in the pudding. The video above was broadcast on Friday, September 18th, 2009 on San Diego’s local NBC News affiliate 7/39 at 11pm. What more can I say other than this is a very distinct victory for photographers’ rights. We are allowed to shoot video or take pictures at trolley stations, and San Diego Trolley police have NO RIGHT to ask or make a photographer stop.

The entire statement, made by Ken Moller of Heritage Security Services is as follows:

“We have no right to tell people they can’t shoot (video) down there. My officers were wrong in telling him that. And I put the word out as soon as I saw the video. It’s a public place and people can certainly shoot video down there if they want to.”

So there you have it. Here is what I have learned from this experience. If an authority figure challenges you while taking photos or shooting video, be polite. Ask them if you are violating any law, and KEEP ROLLING during the transaction. As a photographer, I hate to say it, but this would not have made the evening news if I wasn’t shooting video, so make sure to switch to video mode as soon as you see an authority figure approaching you.

Now we know why video mode is important to us photographers… Not to add a bullet to your wedding photography resume, but rather to protect yourself and to show in HD quality just how your rights are being violated.

Below you will find the video that started it all, and above will you find the video that decided it all.

The World Is Raw » Photography

My List For 2009

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The Surface Of An Alien Planet

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Custom Camera Strap For DSLR’s & Video Cameras

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South Bay Power Plant

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Silver Strand Car Accident

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Palm Springs – Redux

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Harvest Moon 2009

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