A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

On a Sunday while lunch is simmering on the stove, there's sufficient time to put a photo or two on the glass of the scanner. I have to admit the only reason it even crossed my mind today was due to the inclusion of the photo in yesterday's entry. I firmly believe pictures cannot live up to their potential if kept in a big box in the closet. Even the most poor-quality picture can be re-born into a more robust digital existence.



I'm sitting in the middle of the road in Saudi Arabia in 1986. We used to frequently slide down over the escarpment, around Mecca, and to the port of Jeddah. It was always fun to get away from Taif on the weekend to enjoy shopping in the big city. Twenty-two years ago it was possible to sit in the middle of the highway due to the lack of traffic. This is probably not possible today.

Labels: camera, Saudi Arabia

I receive a weekly newsletter from NCIX.com. It always contains great deals on computer equipment. Even though I'm flush with extra, end-of-year cash, there was nothing much from the recent Boxing-Week sale that interested me. My quad-core processor PC and related equipment is new enough to not require upgrading. It seems odd not to drool over some new device or other.

The only item I could remotely consider as needing was some additional flash-memory for my new camera. My first digital camera had a 128 MB card although it was 4 mega-pixel. The average photo size was about 700 K. My new Kodak is 12 mega-pixel so each picture averages between 1.5 MB and 4 MB. Still, I was ahead with the 2 GB card I bought with the Z1275.

The sale at my computer store, however, included an 8 GB SDHC card for $49. I couldn't afford not to buy one. I think the computer I shipped from Dubai when arriving here in 1996 had a whopping 12 GB hard drive. Now, this little card holds 8. I doubt I'll ever have the need to carry around over 2200 photographic images. The little camera does create HD 720p video clips though.

Labels: camera, computers

This image was taken from my balcony late yesterday afternoon. It marks the 700th digital image of my city that I've uploaded to Flickr. The collection spans nearly five years and three different cameras. They are arranged from the most recent to the earliest. The main focus is probably on downtown as that's the part of town where I live.

If you click on the photograph above, you will start a slide show of these images. Should that fail to be enough to satisfy your curiosity about New Westminster, you many also check out a special group I created that contains contributions from other local Flickr users. Athough my photos represent a fair number of those, the total now stands at over 1400. They were uploaded by close to 80 unique contributors.

Labels: camera, Flickr, Fraser River, New Westminster

I bought my first digital camera at the beginning of 2002 and used it for almost four years. It was an Olympus D-40 Zoom which sported 4 megapixels although, at the time, the average camera was only 2. At the end of 2005, I upgraded to an Olympus SP-350. While the prevailing resolution at the time was about 5, I jumped up to 8 MP. Now, I figure that I've gleaned enough value from my second camera too. It has captured least one picture every single day and often many more.

Today, while many best-selling cameras are still in the 7 to 8 MP range, some deals can be had at higher resolutions. In a flyer, I saw the Kodak Z1275 selling at Walmart for $218 although it's probably a few bucks cheaper in the US. The camera has been out since the fall but there weren't too many Internet reviews on the EasyShare camera.

Some reviewers suggested there's no need of having a 12 megapixel CCD. This may be true for those who only print 4x6 family photos from memory cards at the drug store. Yet the more information that can be captured from a scene, the more detail there is. This can be important when cropping the edges of an image. Believe me, there's no picture that cannot be improved through a little tweaking with image-editing software.

Others complained that the Z1275 is too big for a modern point and shoot, but it's smaller than my trusty Olympus. It lacks a traditional viewfinder; however, I seldom found myself holding a camera up to my face anymore. The camera is also larger than other models as the Z1275 uses two AA batteries. The ability to use standard batteries was an important criteria for me. I've already got a charger with plenty of Nickel-Metal Hydrides and in a crunch off-the-shelf AA's can be purchased anywhere. The 5X optical zoom probably takes up a bit more room than the, more normal, 3X. I also considered going bigger with a real SLR but I knew that I wouldn't want to carry something bulky with me all the time. A camera is of no value if it's sitting at home. Lastly, I feel an artist would be able to get great pics out of a 1970's Instamatic with a Magicube flash.

A few Net commenters also thought the camera's body was of flimsy plastic and it didn't feel well-made. My only reply would be that most every non-food purchase I made in 2007 has come from China, so I'm getting pretty used to shoddy manufacturing.

I was a little hesitant to switch brands as one becomes familiar with the on-board software of modern digital cameras. I know the Olympus well. After playing with the Kodak a bit in the store, I knew I could make it through the initial confusion of figuring out something different. Many online reviewers don't allow their new devices enough time to grow on 'em. It can take a while to warm up to something new. For example, getting used to a new computer can be a major headache. When we are forced to do something a little different, we initially rebel. People really are creatures of habit.

Anyway, I let the salesperson swipe my card yesterday afternoon. I haven't had much time to get out and really see if I made a good switch. After I put in the batteries I took a quick photo from the balcony in the evening. Choose a size.

500x368

1024x753

3857x2837

Labels: balcony, camera, review

For the next five days you'll see a a tiny representation of this picture as the first thing on this page. Photos from the last five days are always represented in My Daily Picture Parade. Guests are invited to click on one to see it in greater detail.



This photo is fairly representative of the type included in this online Flickr set. It is not pretty, nor is it an example of great photography. Those are not really part of the criteria for My Daily Picture Parade.

Since July 1, 2005, I have uploaded an image which characterizes something about each day of my life. That means that today marks the 900th photograph in the collection. It's quite interesting to think that I've held a camera in my hands and pressed the shutter button during each of the last 75 dozen days.

It's a rather personally-rewarding image journal of sorts. Most of the subjects can be quite ordinary although some were taken in various countries. I only wish I had developed this habit much, much earlier than two and a half years ago. Wouldn't it be great if I could go back and re-shoot something daily from the thirty years since graduating from high school.

I love the idea of personal archives, I guess.

Labels: camera, Daily Picture Parade, Flickr, opinions

It just might be due to the season that's approaching. Although, I'd be loathe to admit it; perhaps, I really am affected by the end-of-year buying frenzy. Many products are positioned for sale at the year's end. Furthermore, I generally discover in December, after my charitable donations and forced savings, that I've got some extra cash in my pocket. These two forces have the power to unite in a dangerous combination. The final catalyst added is the ease and power of the Internet.

My morning started when I received my email from www.ncix.com and discovered a camera I like is on sale. Perhaps the SP-560UZ would make a nice replacement camera. After all, my present camera is two years old. I spent hours reading reviews and doing comparisons.

Then, in the afternoon, I spent time researching to see if the Blu-ray or HD-DVD camp is winning the battle for the chance to connect to my TV. With the Canadian dollar at around a US dollar, web site comparisons are simple. A trip to Bellingham, Washington would be quick and easy. The power of Wal-mart and its sub-$200 HD player and the deals on Toshiba models at Circuit City may tip the balance in favour of the HD-DVD format. If there was no format war raging, high-definition disc adoption would be substantially greater.

I did a lot of planning today but no actual buying.

Labels: camera, Christmas, HDTV, Walmart

My online photo collection increases daily. Many are just simple snaps but others are historical. One reason they're there is because it's a very accessible backup method. Another reason for using Flickr involves the ability to share, not only for friends but with random folks as well.

I like seeing how many of the photos are viewed by visitors. For example, I uploaded about 50 old, scans from Kuwait in the early 80's. They've been quite popular with folks who live there now. The little kid above was also in that set. I was just walking about the neighbourhood and snapped this kid who was accompanied by some family members.

For some reason, I think the one above does deserve to be in the top 200 listing. To me, it looks a bit like something out of a National Geographic magazine.

Labels: camera, Flickr, Kuwait, world

Earlier in the afternoon, I was positive I was going to leave a voice clip as a blog entry today. After all, my evening students do it as a part of class every evening that we meet. I was going to relate how wonderful it was to have a free Thursday.

Being between Intensive classes, I was completely free and it felt wonderful. I went uptown to the library and walked around London Drugs half dreaming about buying a new camera. I escaped without doing so and made it home happily.

Now that I know we're, for sure, going into Munich and Central Europe as a vacation in the autumn, I found and pulled out The Sound of Music from my vast DVD collection. It's funny how I remember most parts of it up to the intermission but the end seemed all new to me. How could I have understood all the historical implications when I was a babe and saw the film before? Even as a young adult I don't think I understood where Austria was. Now I'm assured that as long as we've got the time, we'll have to get to Salzburg, although it's all a tad Hollywood in the movie.



I've simply got to 'do re mi' down the same steps as seen in the film, even if I cannot carry a tune in a bucket. How nice of ancient Ms. Fisher to have told me to stand in the back of the choir and just mouth the words so I wouldn't bother the real singers. That was most probably in sixth grade but, oh, how far we carry the scars of youth!

(I still have a place near my ankle where hair doesn't grow because I tried to stamp out a 'combustion-able' mixture of gas and baking soda which we created for a junior high-school science fair volcano exhibit. Thank you Mitch Latva, my partner. Didn't we also do something on the effects of music on mice? I got stuck playing Hawaiian music to my sleeping white lab mouse whereas your rock'n roll critter kept biting through its wire cage?)

Labels: camera, Eurotrip 2007, musical, travel planning, world

How powerful blogging can be! I complained yesterday about the weather; therefore today we were gifted with a gorgeous one. This is a week between my regular, intensive courses and I had no obligations.

Well, I wasn't completely free. I mentioned in this blog that nearly a year ago I got annoyed at the service provided at my dentist's office. We hadn't been for a mouth check since then, so it was high time for the initial checkup with a new dentist today. Jay took a personal day. Between the two of us, we were in Belmont Dental in the Royal City Centre Mall between 8:30 and 11:45 this morning.



As the weather is beautiful, you'd think I'd have a great photo from this day to include here. Actually, the shot above is a previously unpublished picture from 2002. At the end of January that year, I bought my first digital camera. The reason I had access to it today is because I backed up my photo collection to a duel-layer DVD. Almost everything including some scans fit into 8.5 GB.

I threw away all my old discs that contained bits and pieces of the archived copies. My actions must be the equivalent of spring cleaning now that we have just about run out of it.

I am anxious to fill up another DVD. Look out Flickr!

Labels: camera, dentist

We're supposed to remember the beauty of the free enterprise system is that consumers vote with their cash. Over the long haul, companies that make the better products and adapt well to changing customers' needs should not only survive but thrive.

Sometimes, I wonder how this theory relates to customer loyalty. For example, when it comes to photographic equipment, I've become loyal to Olympus. The only reason, I suppose, is it was the brand of my first digital camera. I was very happy with my experience with my D40 so when I wanted to go to a higher-resolution, I chose an SP-350. At that time, a year and a half ago, I was most interested in staying with a compact choice. I haven't outgrown the 8 megapixels but I do think I will soon be ready to move to something with interchangeable lenses.

That's why it is so opportune that Olympus has just come out with two new models. It takes a few months for discounts to take effect, unfortunately. How can I not be excited about this product though?

Labels: camera, review, technology

I probably won't finish this entry until after I get home. However, as I have an extra minute or two here in the computer lab, I thought I could, at least, get a head start. Now comes the difficult part ... figuring out what to say!

These extra hours will seem nice when the paychecks roll in. It's actually a pleasure to work with these students while focusing on listening / speaking skills. The courses I usually teach are predominately aimed at improving writing stills. The added advantage of working with computers makes the class interesting too. They work with video and audio files and create voice clips during every class. The lab has flat screen monitors and is easily configured for group work too. It's clearly a unique and useful opportunity.

Unfortunately, I see the additional cash as found money as I wasn't counting on it. So, it seems as if I'm obligated to go out and blow it on something I might otherwise not. Should I buy a digital SLR camera?

Labels: BCIT, camera, computer lab

I watch quite a lot of TV and I write about it here a bit too. Nowadays, most of my programming is designed for the 16x9 screen. It's not so much that I'm still impressed with high-definition, it's more like watching programs in standard format sucks.

If I were to choose a single program that makes the best use of the improved HD medium, it'd have to be CSI: Miami. The quality of the camera location, video capture, and editing is light-years ahead of many other shows. Nearly every scene this season is eye candy. It is shot a bit on the yellow side of the spectrum but assume that's a technique to emphasize it's taking place in a semi-tropical location. Interestingly, the CSI: NY tends to have bluer hues by comparison.

I would have to say that as far as the use of editing to advance a storyline, the crew of CSI: Miami consistantly beats out many high-value Hollywood productions.

Labels: camera, HDTV, television

After a mere day of consideration, I'd like to make this official announcement:

[Editor's Note: This was abandoned after about a month!}

"I am going to attempt
to add a 1-minute clip
each day to my YouTube
account."
Let me warn potential visitors not to expect Scorsese. I'm simply taking a minute out of my life and pointing my camera at something that moves. There'll be no planning, titles, or script. Click the image below to load the page that will contain my clips. Oh, and don't forget to bookmark it!

Labels: camera

This is just the picture of a tower for power lines. It is one place where electricity crosses the Fraser River near New Westminster's Queensborough Bridge. It might seem an odd thing to take a picture of.

I wish no-cost photography had been the norm when I was a kid. I experimented with black and white film developing as a hobby but every click of the shutter cost money. Compare that with today's essentially free digital photos and you'll see why one reason why most of my photos are only a few years old.

Nowadays, I really don't think one can take too many pictures. I'd like to be able to see images from nearly every point in my life. For example there are a million things from the early 1970's I wish I could view. Although I remember running around Nielsen's field taking photos of objects like apple trees, the only pictures I have from that era are family snaps. Seeing the people is interesting; however, I'd like to have a look at neary anything from that period of time.

What did the kitchen radio look like?

How many steps were there from the lawn down to the back driveway?

How tall was the willow tree when I was in fifth grade?

I have no photographs of these things, so I doubt I'll ever know the answers.

Labels: camera, New Westminster

Posted by: Dennis S Hurd / 3:16 PM

Today is the half way point of our stay in Sri Lanka. We’ve been here for two weeks with two remaining. I’m sure of an undocumented rift in the space/time continuum which causes time to actually move faster during vacations. I have empirical evidence. This subatomic quark only comes into play for those enjoying time away. I am still waiting for the discovery of its negative quark which kicks in once one is back at work. Its affect is to actually lengthen each hour on the job for a few weeks.

I went for a walk in this neighbourhood this afternoon. Some beach areas and upcountry towns are used to foreign tourists. Minuwangoda is not. I am sure I was the talk of the neighbourhood walking around with my camera. Jay doesn’t just walk around. He maintains that people here only only walk if they have a real errand. I couldn’t convince him that he could pretend there was some important reason to be about.



I’d been down the same road a few years ago and not a lot had changed. I did run into a guy near the edge of his driveway and we started a quick conversation. His name was Roy. His English was really good and I had the feeling he wanted to chat just to keep from getting rusty. We talked about the ethnic trouble and agreed on the hopeful outcome of the present war. I learned how he is the brother-in-law of another neighbour who often drives this family’s tuk tuk to town. I met his wife and six month old girl. He said they are able to often sleep through the night now. I learned that he used to drive an airport taxi here but because of the schedule quit now to have more time with his new family. I know he is 38 years old.

These are things I didn’t really need to know. I have neighbours who have lived on my floor in the apartment building in Vancouver for years. I say hello to them but don’t even know their names. Jay is sometimes annoyed because he says Sri Lankans constantly gossip. I suppose this is probably truer of the village folk. People in small towns everywhere probably know each other’s business. From what I’ve seen here, many do not hesitate to ask questions that I’d consider personal. I’d probably not ask about marital status or age during an initial conversation in Canada. Here those questions are sure to come up. It seems as if it doesn’t bother most people here as I’ve not heard anybody say, “It’s none of your concern.”

Who am I to judge about the sharing of personal information? I write an Internet blog.

Tomorrow at 7:00 am our usual gang is off on a three-day upcountry trip.

Labels: camera, Sri Lanka 2006

We didn’t arrange for the lift to Minuwangoda in the family’s 3-wheel until 9:15 am. Although back at 4:25 pm, it was quite an exhausting day.

Perhaps in contrast to the solitude of yesterday, we chose to go to Colombo just for the heck of it. We walked around the Fort, cashed a few traveller’s cheques, and strolled through the main Cargill’s as well as Laksala. There was no real reason for the trip other than for diversion. We walked down Galle Face. The grass area is all blocked off for the third phase of improvements. We had thought it was something to do with the military! This clearly is the reason for no Kite Festival this year.

I hadn’t been to the Vihara Maha Davi Park since it was called Victoria Park. It’s still just as impossible as in the mid-80’s to get a good photo of City Hall’s white dome from halfway down the center of the park.

We tried an Internet business. I had all of these text files as well as my “Daily Picture Parade” photos on my camera’s memory card. They had the necessary USB connector on the PC, but the computer and connection was horribly slow. After ten minutes a single photo hadn’t completed uploading; however, the average photo from my present camera is about one and a half megabytes. While trying to upload, I opened several other Windows and was able to check my gmail. There were mostly unimportant messages. There was a nice email from a woman in Kuwait. She had seen the class photos from the Al-Bayan School in 1982. A while back I scanned them and put them on Flickr. In fact, more than seeing them; she was in one of them! I just emailed that I’d received the message and would answer more next month after getting back in Canada. So, there were no updates to my eJournal and images or Flickr today. I am starting to wonder when this will actually sit on my domain!

We at lunch at a modern-style, food court offering “village-like” food. Jay just told me the name but I didn’t catch the spelling. We started back after finding the private busses to Minuwangoda. The bus area is now huge and chaotic. It seems like there is no one who is willing to take the responsibility for the mess. We finally started back at about 3:00 pm.

I feel so sorry for those who must work downtown. It’s probably only a 35 kilometers (21 mile) trip from here. Yet, it took nearly an hour and a half each way. It is little wonder that most government and some business just don’t get work done promptly. It’s not just due to institutional lethargy although that may play a part. People must be too damned tired by the time they get there to finish anything. I have to admit to taking private, a/c coaches too. I don’t know what a government bus would have been like. For then we’d have had to breathe more of the polluted air and hear the ear-piercing noises more loudly. Why do vehicles that don’t have working taillights or even bumper seem to sport upgraded horns?

There were some upsides to the trip. First, since it was not an urgent trip, we avoided rush hours. In addition, parts of Colombo 2 are quite pretty. Lastly, even with lunch for two, the purchase of a baseball cap, and two tuk-tuk rides as well as bus fares, we spent less than $10 in total.

Labels: camera, Sri Lanka 2006

I have never been one to photograph strangers out in public. People come in such a tremendous number of shapes, shades, and sizes. It's going to take additional practice, but I am really starting to warm up to the idea.

Just carrying around a camera all the time has been a tough chore to get used to. First, I used to pretend I was a tourist. Now, I've developed a don't-fool-with-me, damn-it attitude.

I have always been hesitant to make anyone in a crowd feel nervous about being in a photo. There are some tricks I'm discovering. For example, one can pretend to be focusing on a distant object and suddenly frame the subject at the last moment. Not letting 'em even know they're being captured would probably be an excellent way as well. I am sure a nice telephoto lens would be useful!

Labels: camera

Yesterday, I gave my computer's DVD writers a real work out. I spent most of the day working on both professional and personal projects.

CREATING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES

I spent the better part of the morning designing a class set of discs that I'll hand out to the students. Sometimes technology changes outside our classes but we continue doing things the same old way. I've decided that each student has access either to a home DVD player or one on their computer. It is only logical that I make use of this resource.

I have run across some excellent TV programming that can be utilized with my Communication students. First, I record the shows off the Bell ExpressVu satellite onto my PVR. Then, at my leisure, I copy the segments I want to my computer via a capture card. Lastly, when I've got a sufficient amount of video material, I use software to create menus for easy access to the video segments.

Next term, I will lend every student a DVD copy. I'll assign specific content as homework. I can either create a worksheet or we can have a discussion of the content during the proceeding class. It's quite hard to discuss the assembly of a technical device or product without visual references. A DVD is not quite as fun as a class field trip but a hell of a lot more interesting than a grammar worksheet.


CREATING FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES

In the late afternoon, in anticipation of next month's trip to Sri Lanka, I worked to copy 2.5 DV tapes to DVDs. Even though only two years have passed, everyone will enjoy seeing what we shot in 2004. I usually spend a lot of time thinking about still photography, but honestly video is much more amazing.

It's relatively easy to copy digital tape to a DVD and include a nice-looking menu. The memories that video can carry are absolutely intense. The screen looks so clear and colourful compared to old analog television. Plus, you get all the movement and a complete soundscape. You can see how someone walks and catch gestures that are impossible in the capture of a single moment in a regular photograph. Once on disc the results become very accessible too. Why edit anything out? With a remote in your hand, it's a cinch to zoom through a boring part at 32X.

I must get the video camera out of the closet much more often.

Labels: camera, television

For years, I've downloaded new drivers, utilities, and updates for my computers. I've even gotten used to my satellite receiver downloading updates. Yet, I'm still amazed by all the things which I used to think of as equipment having upgradable software too.

I got an email because I registered my Olympus camera online after I bought it. The email indicated that new firmware was available for the SP-350. I could move to the 1.3 version which included some fixes for battery-use indication.

I had never even unsealed the manufacturer's CDROM as I am perfectly happy organizing my photos using the native options in Windows XP. If I wanted to upgrade my camera, however, it instructed I had to do so via the Olympus Master software. I loaded it and and found that even it had a newer version available. I got that up-to-date first.

Next, I followed the instructions and connected the camera to a USB port. It recognized that my current version was only 1.1 and offered to download 1.3 from the Internet. I let it. When it was actually transferring from my hard disk to the camera, there was a nice graphic which showed on the LCD. After two minutes, it simply read, OK. I unplugged everything and turned off the camera. Although I've been carrying it around for eight months now, it's basically brand-new now.

I wonder what version my toaster is running?

Labels: camera, software

Great images don't have to come from an expensive camera.

In the very early 1970's, as a kid, I was happy with a Kodak Brownie Bullet. It was a little, cube-shaped, hand-me-down camera that was probably already fifteen years old at the time. It took rolls of 127 film that I used to load into a developer tank along with caustic smelling chemicals. After trying to feed them onto a spool, I'd add developer, fixer, and finally water as a rinse. This all took place in the stairway to the attic because when the door was closed it was always almost dark enough!

Well, probably none of those images were great. I have no record of any of them but the camera and developing process did greatly affect me. They proved the magic of a captured image.

Then, for years and years, I was not involved in photography. All the years when travelling the globe, I simply had a consumer-based click and shoot. Or sometimes, I carried nothing at all. That's a pity, really, as I could've taken some unique and inspiring images. It wasn't until 2002 and my purchase of a digital camera, that my interest was re-ignited.



I got most recent camera last December. I wanted to jump to 8 megapixel but I figured that portability was the most important criteria for selection. I reasoned that no matter how wonderful the camera was, it'd sit in the drawer unless it was easy to carry along in daily life. I believe that is true. I do my "Daily Picture Parade" on Flickr where a photo each day represents those 24 hours.

Still, now I'm yearning for more. I want something where I can screw in a telephoto or wide-angle lens. I'm not quite shopping yet, but I'm starting to educate myself on what's available in the dSLR marketplace.

Labels: camera, Daily Picture Parade

I like history, especially my own. I also like attempting to clean up old images. In addition, I rather enjoy mysteries.

The photo above was from an old Ektachrome slide. The original wasn't rectangular, so I assume it was shot with an Kodak Instamatic 126 camera. It was in a shoe box of old memorabilia that my dad sent me, so I'd venture that it was from my childhood. It looks like a desert scene, so most probably it was from a road trip to the American southwest. Yet there are places in British Columbia that look like this and we drove an ancient VW-camper from New Hamsphire to Alaska when I was about 6 years old. Might this be from that trip?

The scene is too blurry to really make out anything. Is it just a dirt road? My mom usually took the photos. What was it that prompted her to shoot this scene?

Labels: camera, Mother

A crowded Kuwaiti souk in the evening. - 1982


In case of an apartment flood, copies of my pictures will get soggy and I'm not so sure what'll happen when the big one (earthquake) hits California. I'm trying to say that I uploaded a few more pictures from paper to Flickr's data-centers. I wish I had organized and kept the tons of negatives I shot over the years. Trying to coax a suitable image off 25-year-old, yellowing paper is not always easy.

Every so often I upload a few fragments of my image past to An Old Box in the e-Attic. It's more than convenient to have a representative collection online. Wherever I am, as long as there's an Internet connection, I will have my photo albums with me. Quick! How quickly can you locate a photo of your grandmother? I can do so in seconds.

As I briefly mentioned yesterday, photos are best when shared. After all, you are reading something called, my eJournal and images. Honestly, what good is a photo album if the cover's never cracked open? The whole concept of sharing took on added meaning yesterday. In the evening, I scanned and uploaded eight more photos from Kuwait. I lived in that country from 1981 to 1983 as I was hired for my very first teaching job. I don't have many high-quality pictures from that era. I must have owned a very cheap camera at the time.

The resulting images may not have been stunning but they certainly did attract attention. In fact, I had an email waiting when I woke up. That is considerably different than when I worked there. It used to take two weeks for a postal letter to get to the US and another two for the return trip. Telephone calls used to cost a fortune. Going overseas was a much greater commitment than nowadays.

Now that nearly a quarter of a century has passed, my old photos have become valuable to others as well as me. Most people like looking at their past. The country has undoubtedly changed. There was even a war and all. People yearn to remember a time which seems simpler. My photos were re-posted on a Kuwaiti message board. Imagine that! And I didn't know that Google was working on Arabic to English translation.

Labels: camera, Internet

After work yesterday, I needed to stop by my doctor's office. I knew that it'd not be open but I wanted to write down the telephone number.

My doctor moved to a new clinic at the beginning of the year. I went there once but had misplaced the phone number. I want to make an appointment to go over the results for the blood test I had last week.

I thought it was rather ironic that although I teach writing, I had no pen on me. There were probably a few dozen in my briefcase but I was annoyed that I'd already walked around to the front of the building.

Then I remembered my camera was in my pocket. Not only was I able to read the image, but by uploading it, I'll have it anywhere there is Internet access.

Labels: camera

I accidentally clicked a link under my favourites list in MS Explorer. I do like how the new beta deals with favourites, but that's an entry for another day. My favourite computer store popped up on the screen. I've already mentioned that when Windows Vista comes out this year, I plan to buy a new hard drive to install it on. I had bookmarked the page with drives. How amazing! Nowadays a 300 gigabyte component goes for $150 Canadian.

I won't go into details to prove I've been computing since DOS. I have already mentioned that my first IBM-compatible came with two 360K floppies and no fixed disk. My first Seagate cost a fortune and could hold 20 megabytes.

We certainly do have the ability to save lots now. There's not much reason to be organized. It's easier to save the junk along with documents. When was the last time I wrote to a floppy drive? Email attachments beat a sneaker-net in the 1990's. Hell, most every photo out of my digital camera is too big to fit on a 1.4 meg. floppy disk.

(This photo was taken with a borrowed digital camera in December of 1999. It was a Kodak which saved on standard floppy disks. The original image was 480 x 640 pixels and about 60k.)

Labels: camera, computers, hard disk, Hardware

I used to take far too many pretty photos. You know that I mean; I'd shoot a lovely sunset or unspoilt view of nature. It was either that or I'd often succumb to touristy images. Those included shots of people in front of famous landmarks.

Now, I'm successfully embracing the world of banal photography. I want photos which are of life's minutiae. In order to understand one's present existence at a later point in time, one needs to capture the ordinary.

Imagines of us standing in front of the Eiffel Tower will always be valuable. Yet, I wish I had pictures of the various streets we've lived on. Rather than a sunset, I'd prefer shots of the kitchens in our previous apartments.



Now with digital, there's no reason not to click the shutter often. For example, there's nothing special about yesterday's picture of Columbia Street taken from in front of the SkyTrain Station entrance. In the future though, things may change and the mind's eye will never be as accurate and thorough as an 8 megapixel Olympus.

Labels: camera, New Westminster

A modern digital camera ensures that every picture contains some hidden data. It contains information in a format known as an Exchangeable Image File. This includes all sorts of useful bits such as camera type, aperture size and shutter speed. In the future, it'll most likely contain GPS data to make identifying outdoor locations a snap. More importantly for historians, as long as the device's time is set correctly, there's a date and time stamp too!

I have managed to begin scanning old photos so they can be stored online at A Box in the Attic on my Flickr account. The unfortunate thing is almost none of these pictures have date information. It's no problem if it's from a specific vacation, as I can check my records for the month and year. I've discovered that most can be problematic though.



Until my job here, I had taught in Dubai the longest. I arrived in the UAE in August 1991 and left in June 1996. My photos, during these years, were never organized. None have a printing date or handwritten information on the reverse side. The scan above is a good example. I know it was a party with college staff but I haven't a clue as to the exact year!

Labels: camera, Dubai, staff

I am not sure why I have a large box with wires, cords, and adapters. I never seem to need the female-to-female RCA adapters that are there. In fact, I can never use any of the contents in the box! Do you need a spare 9-to-21 pin, serial port adapter?

Yet I always require some wire, cord, or adapter which I don't have. With each new purchase, my collection continues to grow. Places like Radio Shack charge an arm and a leg for a penny-ante part. Of course, I'm glad they actually have the rare bit which I need.

My most recent example occurred with the purchase of my new camera. Rather than taking fairly standard camera memory, it uses xD cards. They are ultra small and cute but my laptop doesn't accept them. I hate the lengthy cord that came with my Olympus SP-350, so I went in search of, yet another, adapter.

I ended up buying a little, key chain USB device. It's not quite as easy as a slide-in adapter, but I could use the device to carry around a half-gig of work files. All computers seem to have a spare USB port; unfortunately, not all sport easy access from the front panel. So, I did manage to shift all my USB devices and ended up with a spare 4-port USB connector that will go directly into my box ...

Labels: camera

There was something a little sad about seeing the out-of-season,
kiddie section of Queen's Park yesterday.

I had to get out and try to take some pictures with my new camera. Unfortunately, the weather wouldn't cooperate. I wasn't out for long as the ground was soggy and I hadn't put on good shoes. It started pouring and I was completely alone in Queen's Park. During the summer the kid's water slide is busy. It's right near the seasonal petting zoo. But on a rainy December day it looked empty and forlorn. No children's voices could be heard.

On a similarly creepy vain for the holidays, guess what show was on CBC the other evening? Rudolph is pretty cute. The program as a whole, though, is weird and slightly warped. Even Burl Ive's soothing voice really doesn't make the jerky animation and silly story palatable. Yet, I stayed glued to the television just as I probably had for many of the years since it was created in 1964.

Labels: camera, television

I think that I've been nice this year. However I must admit, that's what I thought last year. In 2004 I was pretty disappointed in Santa when I got nothing from him. At least if he had left a lump of coal, I would have considered it an acknowledgement. I'm refusing to leave myself vulnerable this Christmas.

In fact, the other evening, I ordered myself a new camera from www.BestBuy.ca. I am now waiting for delivery. They had an additional 10% reduction on all digital camera prices for a customer appreciation sale. The thing was, I would've had to go to a Best Buy store between 6 and 9 pm last Sunday evening. As we were planning to hit a movie theatre, I was able to get the same deal online. Yet, waiting for the package to arrive from Mississauga is a bit irksome.

My current, trusty-little beast will turn four years old in January. The Olympus D-40 has been a great little camera. I've not really outgrown its 4.0 megapixels which were quite cutting-edge back when most cameras were around 2.1. Still, I am looking forward to leaping to 8.0 with the new camera. It is not unlike my present camera but will sport lots of updates and improvements. At least the device's menus should seem familiar. One reason I really wanted the SP-350 is because it takes two ordinary AA batteries. My present D-40 does too, so I've got a ton of rechargable NiMHs. I've been on vacations when it's hard to schedule a charge, but ordinary 'penlight' batteries work and are for sale everywhere!

Labels: camera, Christmas

One third of a century ago, I couldn't have known I'd someday be able to digitize the slide-film image I was taking. I don't think the possibility that everyone would have a small, computer appliance had crossed my mind. The fact, this very image can be viewed the world over because of a digital information network, may now seem unremarkable. Yet, this would've been a stretch of most everyone's imagination in 1972.



Captain Kirk, although in charge of an immense and powerful ship, couldn't have done this sort of thing. Still, our cell phones do now look a lot like his communicator.

Labels: camera, New Hampshire

Canadians celebrate the same occasion during October rather than a month before Christmas as the American neighbours do. This bird was cooked up by friends the first year I had a digital camera. Even though it was three years ago, I can still taste it. Yum.

Labels: camera

Okay, I hate bringing it up but August is almost over. Since I imagine this is read mostly north of the equator, that means the slide into fall is inevitable. I've already become acutely aware of switching on the lights earlier and earlier. It was actually quite cool last night.

There's a Canadian TV advertisement where a woman walking down the street starts to shriek. It's a great shriek. It's so effective, it might lead you to believe she's seen a horrible accident. Then, the camera turns to show an autumn leaf on the sidewalk.


Enjoy a picnic and the weather any time of year.

Labels: camera

I bought my present camera in February of 2002. It was smart of me to spend a lot more, at the time, and go directly to 4.0 megapixel. The little Olympus D40 has served me very well. It will continue for a bit longer as it'll capture images of our European trip in September.

Yet soon, I will have to replace it with something newer and flashier. I have outgrown it and I've recently found myself on the Internet seriously researching, comparing, and choosing favourites. I know this means it's time to ready the Mastercard. Soon after we get back, it will be time for me to replace the much-used device. I've even worn the fake chrome off the plastic shutter release . Speaking of chrome ...

Labels: camera

You might not be able to make out this picture. Maybe I'll get a digital camera with a decent zoom in the fall.

There are two seagulls to the right. One's a parent and the other hesitantly following is the 'baby'.

We get a free nature-show each year. It is available right from the window. Down on the roof of the Met Hotel, gulls nest in the summer. We get to watch the entire process from initial peeping beaks to the runt's last flight away. It's now August 20th and there are three young'uns this year. They're at a point where they'd terribly much like to fly. They start at one side of the building and run, flap, and screech to the opposite side. I expect that at least one will take a maiden, winged voyage by the end of this weekend.

The picture, though, was taken at the New Westminster Quay yesterday. In this case the mother was teaching the, still brown, offspring to swim and hunt for food. It was continuously peeping and although I don't speak gull, I'm sure it was shouting to be fed. Becoming independent can be damned hard work.

Labels: camera, New Westminster, Quay

You know the screech you hear when you put a microphone too close to speakers, don't you? In terms of video, you can get feedback when you point the camera at a live monitor. At the corner of the screen you get a picture within a picture within a picture. When the camera points directly at the center, you get freaky, undulating gobs of light and color. I guess you are witnessing the electronic representation of infinity.

I was going to include a picture taken at the strata-owned patio area near our building's swimming pool. Well, I was going to take a second picture that showed this blog entry on the screen of the computer taken at the strata-owned patio area near our building's swimming pool. So, on the screen you're looking at now you'd be seeing the screen of a computer taken at the strata-owned patio area near our building's swimming pool. And so on.

Unfortunately, my camera batteries died and I was much too lazy to try to approach infinity anyway.

Labels: camera, Hardware

There's recently been talk (and email) from the guys. We're all considering taking a trip for a few nights in mid-June. The Okanagan is one suggested destination. I love heading over the Coastal Mountains and seeing just how quickly we can go from the Lower Mainland's temperate rain forest to the semi-desert of that area. It's a leisurely, half-day drive. The particulars of a plan haven't been ironed out. Yet if it develops, I'm sure it'll make for a good time.


This is a digital picture taken on a 2002 trip when my camera
was nearly new.

Labels: British Columbia, camera, driving, Okanagan, places, road trip

Here's an unusual photo. I remember getting my first camera with a timer. In this shot, I'm standing with my grandmother, Ina Hurd. We must've been waiting for the camera to click and not had enough time to smile. Our seriousness and the weird lighting give this a unique tone. By the background, I know we were visiting Stoddard, NH and the 'camp' where my other grandmother used to spend summers.


This was scanned from a slide. I do not have a date but expect it was in
the early 1970's.

Labels: camera

I plugged a firewire connection from my digital camcorder to the computer. Inside, it had a tape which I'd just copied from my old analog camera. I captured one hour's worth of events from the summer of 2000 to the hard drive. The resulting file was about 13 gigabyte.

In order to find these old tapes, I had to hunt through the closet shelf and open a bulky and unwieldy box. It contained all sorts of old, computer paraphernalia. I took a breath and threw away an old Quantum disk drive. You see, the one-hour video file was larger than the entire 12 gig drive! I really should've chucked it out long ago.

There was also a zip drive (pictured above). It had a parallel port connection because it was used before the days of USB. The cartridges held only 100 meg. I wondered if it would run under XP and I did manage to find an iOMEGA driver. It worked fine but the device is fairly useless. Why couldn't I gather the courage to throw it out too?

Labels: analog, camera, Hardware

Yesterday was one of those days where going for a walk was almost manditory. The weather was so fine there really wasn't any other option! I took my camera and snapped pictures along the way. I am testing shoes to see which pair will prove good for walking around New York, New York in May.

This was taken down at the foot of 6th Street at the river's edge. (Click the little picture to load a larger copy of the image in a new window.) This is where the future, New Westminster waterfront development will take place. Although, we risk losing a bit of the south-west view from the balcony, it will be worth it to have a more accessible and beautiful area just a few blocks away.

Labels: camera, New Westminster

Thanks for dinner. Getting together last evening was fun. You served us enough food to make us feel full. Although I neglected to bring along my camera, I found this previously-taken photo of the neighbourhood. It was taken about the same time of year. So, when's the next dinner scheduled?

Labels: camera, Tim, Vancouver

Although dozens pictures were blogged during September and October of last year, they only scratched the surface of my collection. I had two memory cards for the camera and deliberately saved at a lower resolution so I returned with over 720 images.



You may view many others blogged in context if you return to any week
from those two months.

Page: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09.

Or, you can find the 55 large-format eJournal pictures quickly at Lankan ePictures.

Labels: camera, temple

Q) What's something that we all do but seldom publicly admit?

A) Type in our own names and do Internet searches.

I still remember when Yahoo first started pointing to web pages with my name around ten years ago. A whole decade later, I'm still listed and there's much more of me (literally too.)

That's neither here nor there though. What is important is that if I continue to add people from my past to this blog, then eventually they'll show up as visitors. (This has happened to a number of you and you know who you are!)


WHO'S IN THIS HIGH SCHOOL ERA SHOT?

Back row, left to right: Richard Kelly, Christopher Ellis, Joel Thomas, and Candy Winn Fuller.
Center: Gifford Swanson.
Bottom row: Catherine Harold, and yours truly (Is mouth always open?)
Half Hidden: Marla Binzel (Sorry, this was Bret Wirta's camera work.)

Labels: Bret, camera, Joel

Yesterday was one of those days. It was again clear and sunny. The cherry, willow, and magnolia trees were clearly doing their utmost to show off. This meant that, just as earlier in the week, everybody and their cousin were out.

Similarly, I took my camera and went for a walk.

Some owners had dogs on leashes while many new parents were pushing around prams (strollers). I was keeping mental notes as to which camp had stronger numbers. It was very close but I'd say the dogs won ... by a hair.

Labels: camera