Halloween

The Saturday before Halloween was the party day. We had two parties to go to. I didn't get many Halloween photos because my costume didn't allow for it and I didn't feel like carrying my camera around. However, Holly and I dressed up so I had to get a photo of us. I took a few photos before heading out.

I took a few pictures. None turned out really nice. This was the best one though. As you can see it was full length. I thought it looked good in black and white even if it negated the color in the dress.

This is the same image as above but cropped. I wanted a color shot as well but didn't have another one that I liked so to change it up, I cropped the one keeper.

On Halloween, the dogs got dressed to greet the trick-or-treaters. It wasn't the easiest task to keep their costumes on let alone photograph them.

The first one up was Roofus. He was chillin on the couch with his alligator/dinosaur costume on.

Jewlie was next. She was a ladybug or as she is affectionately known, a Jewliebug.

Holly getting Jake dressed was fun to watch. He lets her do anything to him. If he has to wear a hat, he wears a hat.

As you can see, it was difficult to get them all to stay in one location. Other than Jake of course.

This was the best photo of all three.

Maybe next year they will be more cooperative in their costumes. It was fun anyway.

2013 Halloween Masquerade
Dog Halloween Costumes 2013

Learning About Men's Style Because My Closets were full

It started out when I got a job interview and I realized I didn't like how my suit fit. I decided to look for a new one on the cheap. I started reading up on men's fashion and professional suits. I ended up finding a nice fitting suit off the rack in Kohl's for $200. More on that in a bit. Trying on the suit at home, I get a nonchalant comment of having enough clothes to fill two closets. I realized it was true but I found myself only wearing a few pieces consistently. I went through and piled up clothes I hadn't worn in a while and clothes that didn't fit properly.

The first round got me two, 13 gallon trash bags full of clothes to donate but I kept going and was able to fill another.

I was running out of hangers but when I was done with the purge, I had a stack of them.

My closets now have mostly well fitting essentials that I wear or couldn't part with. I have two closets. I keep this one with dress clothes. Mostly pants, button downs, and polo shirts.

The second closet is for my sports and active wear. Mostly running shirts and t-shirts. I also cleared out a drawer and stuffed some less used t-shirts to clear up closet space. I keep my shorts on the rack above just out of photo range.

I have been wanting to dress better for a while. Not sure why, I just don't want to look like a slob, I guess. I started reading up on men's style. I found a few cool websites and YouTube channels. The Art of Manliness is amazing. It has everything from style to grooming to all the manly things a man's father should teach him. In fact, a lot things which my dad has taught to me which is surprising because my dad isn't necessarily the manliest man but he is old.

Learning about style, I learned a seemingly obvious fact that the most important aspect is the fit. Since most of my clothes don't fit properly, I am able to donate even more. That will have to wait though because I won't have enough to wear. I have also learned that proper fitting clothes can most often be more expensive.

So now comes the effort part, if I want to look nice. I'm not sure if I'll stick to it. I noticed for my interview(s), it's difficult to dress nice because even though it's cooling down a bit, wearing a suit in 85 degrees causes a lot of sweat and discomfort. There are still ways to dress nicer without wearing a suit and/or jacket though and that's where I'll focus until the cooler months.

After my second interview, I decided to setup the camera on the tripod and a remote flash to play photographer/model since I was already dressed. I'm a terrible model and it's difficult to focus on one self. I tried a few things but couldn't get it working correctly before I started sweating so I just gave up.

About the suit: I like it but not without some downfalls. It is charcoal with a pinstripe. Since buying it, I learned that pinstripe shouldn't be the only suit to have because it is more noticeable than a solid charcoal or medium gray. It is also considered more business attire than solid charcoal. What I like most is the fit and price. It's Marc Anthony slim fit suit separates for $200. The pants fit perfectly. Although they are slim so I don't have much room for my huge thighs. The coat length seems good though possibly a little long in this photo.It's double vented which I like. The sleeves are also a tad long and the neck bunches up a little. From what I understand, they should be minor adjustments from a quality tailor.

I tried a few close ups. Again, the model is terrible and focus isn't great.

Another angle, same terrible model. I had my arm like this because I wanted to show some cuff. I think I'm going to get my suit jacket sleeves shortened a bit. I first have to find a proper fitting shirt. It's possible it happened because they're cheap shirts but I have two identical size, model and brand shirts of different color and the sleeves on one are shorter and puffier than the other. It's annoying. I also noticed on this photo that the back of the neck on the coat is a little high. It might be the shirt that is weird or the jacket not fitting properly.

I was looking for a sports coat and found this herringbone patterned, taupe colored (that's the color listed, I would've called it light brown) on the clearance rack at JC Penny. It was marked down to $29.99. It was a slim fit and I found my size so I couldn't pass it up. The only downside is the single vent style. Yes, I know I still have the tags on it. I'm wearing it with a white shirt and brown flat front khakis that actually fit although possibly a bit too long.

Here I have the same jacket with jeans and a salmon shirt. I might have the sleeves shortened slightly on this one as well but I think this jacket fits even better than my suit jacket.

So basically, I've overhauled my entire wardrobe and still have work to do. I have donated brand new, never worn, tags still attached shirts and pants because they just didn't fit. It hurts to have spent the money and I feel a bit irresponsible but lesson learned, I hope. I will need to replace some pants and shirts that don't fit properly but that will come with time because I can't keep spending money right now.

I hope you enjoyed my self-inflicted episode of What Not To Wear.

Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Review

Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Review

The Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW is the smaller of the two available sizes of this bag. The other being 22L. It is a small backpack style bag that is great for anything from day hikes to bike rides to festivals. It can be used as a stand alone backpack with a large interior or divided with the removable, padded camera inlay. I have only used it with the camera insert because that’s my intended use but it should work well without it if say you’re on vacation and needed a day pack without your camera gear. The camera section itself is only accessible from the rear of the pack which is great for two reasons. The first being that it keeps your expensive equipment more secure while you’re wearing it and also allows you to access the back without taking off the pack by rotating it on the belt strap. It’s really easy to change lenses or get a spare battery or card. The space is quite limited so this is not really a pro bag. It’s just large enough for a entry level dslr and two small lenses. Or maybe a mirrorless system. I have a T3i and keep the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 attached usually and a Sigma 50-200mm f4-5.6 in another pocket. I’ve found this works the best for me. I keep my SD card wallet in there. I could make some more space if I needed to but that usually works for me. The top or general purpose part of the bag is a standard top or front load zippered compartment. It fits some small items usually some snacks or a hat. I’ve put a light jacket in the cooler months or a change of clothes. The space is limited but if used wisely, it’s very handy. I often use this section to keep my speedlight and audio recorder. Some filters and other odds and ends. It has a zippered compartment as well for some smaller items with a key ring to attach your keys. There are two mesh pockets to further organize the small space. There is a small zippered compartment on the front that supposedly holds a tablet. It’s not large enough for a laptop but it is padded. I usually keep small items. I poncho, a flashlight, etc... On the outside there are two mesh pockets on either side which hold small water bottles or other items. I often take some sandals in there. The back of the pack has mesh padding with vents for cooling which is comfortable but does get warm. I found my back does sweat quite a bit with this on but so do most packs I’ve used. As mentioned it has a belt strap which is just an unpadded strap but it works and holds it in place if you’re riding bike or when you’re flipping it over to access the camera contents. The waist strap is removable. It also has an adjustable chest strap which is also handy to keep the pack in place and is also removable. The hand grip at the top seems like a weak point but I haven’t had issues with it. It is solid. The AW in the name stands for all weather. There is a rain cover that is attached and stored in the bottom compartment. It covers the pack and I’ve tested this in some solid rain and it really works. As long as it’s in place properly. Sometimes it likes to slide off the top and the velcro doesn’t hold well around the shoulder straps but once in place it is great. Conclusion Overall the pack is comfortable to wear and use. It is small and that would be the only drawback but that’s also a strong point. It wears close to your back so maneuvering in large crowds is not an issue. I’ve used it on bike rides and it hugs my back and doesn’t shift at all. I really like this bag and highly recommend it.

Vacation part 2 - St Augustine

We arrived from Louisiana on Monday and we started looking into plans to Niagara Falls but passports and last minute prices were too high. My mom decided to come up to North Florida and stay in St Augustine for a few nights. We found a nice hotel called La Fiesta Ocean Inn.

The first night, we drove 10 minutes to the historic district to check it out.

We took some of the obligatory photos. At night without light, it was difficult to expose properly. I clearly didn't see the light correctly on this one since I'm shooting from the wrong side. In daylight, I often shoot with backlight but can't do it at night in such darkness.

I turned to the correct side here but unfortunately missed focus.

The columns of the Basilica or something. I was refreshed to see lots of light.

Walking down George St. 

I tried capturing some texture. I stretched the RAW file pretty far on this one.

I couldn't take this image as far because there was less light on the subjects.

The second night, we had dinner at Holly's house to meet her parents. Afterward we went to friendship fountain to see some of Jacksonville. When we arrived, we heard a large and loud congregation of frogs mating. Of course Holly was drawn to them..

She found these two going at it. I had her shine a flashlight while I shot this. The flashlight worked better since it was too dark to focus.

We let the frogs do their thing for a while and moved along to the fountain. Here's my mom and David.

I could never go downtown and not take a shot of the skyline.

The next day was our sightseeing day in St Augustine. We all slept in but got out there just in time for the mid-day sun. This shot almost looks HDR but it's just the awesomeness of RAW.

At the same location as above, I focused on Holly much closer to me.

At the end of George St, was this chrome Mercedes. Apparently it belongs to one of the art gallery owners.

Speaking of art galleries, here are mom and hubby enjoying some art.

It wasn't difficult to get photos of David taking photos.

While David was off taking photos of the Bridge of Lions, I saw Holly sitting at the base of this statue. I was at another angle but there was a big ugly truck behind her so we shifted and got one of my favorite images from the trip.

A little behind the scene feel to this one. 

Horse and carriage on the road. I cropped this one for two reasons. I wanted the horse to be the main focus and because I didn't get the full carriage so I felt the wide crop fit better.

We got a nice storm but it rolled through quickly. Unfortunately it left lingering dark clouds when we got to the Castillo San Marco. I like this portrait of my mom and David.

I handed my camera off to David to shoot me and Holly. I cropped it to get us off to the left side since we were originally composed in the middle of the frame. We look decent and in focus. The rare shot of us together. 

And they complain about me always taking pictures... :-)

I took this of Holly not knowing I'd like it so much later when I edited it. Sure it's not the best composed or posed shot and the background might even be argued that it's distracting but I like her expression.

I turned the camera to the other side where my mom was standing and got one of her. 

When I turn again, I see David popping his head up. Funny stuff.

Part two of the vacation continued where part one left off. This phase was slightly more relaxed being at the beach and not having much scheduled and although I wanted to and still want to see Niagara Falls at some point, I'm glad we did this. 

Total vacation time was 11 days, including the highly recommended post vacation, vacation at home. We drove over 1500 miles and had good time with family.

Check out full sets on Flickr: St Augustine Vacation

Vacation part 1 - Louisiana

My nephew was playing in the southwest regional Pony league championship in Louisiana. I was excited to shoot some photos but things didn't turn out exactly as any of us had hoped. The tournament was a bust. My nephews team was outplayed and the weather was uncooperative to say the least. Nevertheless, we had fun and I did get some photos. Here is the story.

On the first day in Lafayette, my nephew was supposed to play two games but they only played one. I arrived after the game they played so I met them at the hotel afterward where I saw my mom's husband in his Speedo. He tried to hide but I was too quick on the shutter. Though that might not be a good thing in this instance.

The second day was all waiting. We were supposed to play two or three games but we got postponed and left pending so we couldn't even drive to New Orleans like we wanted. I snapped this photo of my niece.

We finally got the call that the game would be played at 8pm but it was raining by the time we arrived at the field. We were walking to the car to get the chairs before the game finally started and found this crawfish in the pathway. I mean it's Louisiana but there was no water other than rain puddles nearby.

The game finally got underway at 10pm. They were going to play the loser bracket through the night because they postponed the games so much. This was the first picture I got to shoot once we setup. My nephew on third just before being brought home. I didn't have my settings dialed yet.

This is the starting pitcher. We made friends with his mom throughout the weekend and I tried to get a few shots for her. It wasn't his best outing apparently but the game was still in range when they took him out. 4-2.

The opposing pitcher was pitching well. 

On my nephews next at bat, I went to the visitors side to get some shots head on. He struck out but it was a decent at bat.

After my nephews strike out, I thought to get some crowd shots. It was really dark so I switched to the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8. I was able to get a few shots that I liked.

My niece was enjoying the game...video game.

My nephew was up to bat again so I turned my focus back to the game. I changed back to my Sigma 50-200mm f4-5.6. My nephew got a surprise bunt and was able to get a sneaky base hit. Unfortunately, as you can note in the background, the score was out of reach. With the exception of this and a few other hustle plays, the kids were not into the game and didn't want to win.

After the tournament, we drove through New Orleans on the way back home. We parked in the French Quarter and walked to what turned out to be the Mississippi River. I got this photo of the group checking out the river.

Walking through the Riverside Marketplace, we found this giant crawfish.

There was a nice fountain in the shade so we hung out a bit there. I took this quick photo of my mom and her husband.

Not quite what I was expecting as live music entertainment in New Orleans but at least it was something. We didn't stay long because it was so hot and we had a long drive home.

Holly trying on some masks. I like how sharp this photo turned out.

On a brief stop at a gas station before reaching our hotel in Alabama for the night, my mom's husband wandered off and found these mushrooms. I tried getting a little creative with the photo.

Just beyond the mushrooms, there was a nice view down the hill and I tried to get a portrait of my niece and nephew but it was near impossible. This was the best I could manage.

Okay, this is just scary.

But not as scary as this. We shared a room to save some money and my mom and her hubby fell asleep massaging each others feet.

That was it for part one of my vacation. As previously mentioned, everything may not have gone as expected but we had fun and got to see a part of our country we hadn't seen before. My sister drove back home to south Florida with my mom before my mom drove back to north Florida for part two of our vacation which I'll post on a different post.

As always, check out the full sets on Flickr

LA Trip

LA Pony League Championships