Stuck In Customs

Rainy Night in Tokyo

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Machine Elf 62 – The Consciousness of Appearing

Sometimes when I get bored, I listen to all sorts of podcasts about the nature of reality. It’s also been influenced a lot by my morning meditations with the Sam Harris Waking Up app. Once you start to just notice things appearing in your sensorium, it can be quite the spectacle. So, I started working on this fractal based on a more organic formula to explore this idea further. The music I coupled it with is also a favorite that was introduced to me by a shaman in LA and it’s called “Devi Prayer” by Craig Preuss & Ananda. Enjoy the journey!

Daily Photo – Rainy Night in Tokyo

How awesome is the rain in Tokyo? It’s one of my favorite times to go out and take photos. The Blade Runner reflections go off the chart and all these cool Japanese people carry interesting umbrellas. I think I stayed up till around 2AM taking photos and walking the streets to find different subjects. By the time I got back to the hotel with Ethan, I was completely soaked and freezing, but it was worth it!

Rainy Night in Tokyo

Photo Information

Date Taken2018-02-02 03:21:14
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/125
Aperture4
ISO8000
Focal Length47.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Matching Moms

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Matching Moms

While we were in Zimbabwe, we had a special surprise while on a beach. A group of local villagers came down to give us a fun show & dance. It’s always a golden opportunity for photos… I’m sure they thought we were a little weird, taking so many photos of something they do all the time, but I’m used to people thinking I’m a little weird.

Matching Moms

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-09-21 10:44:08
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/200
Aperture5
ISO2000
Focal Length24.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Ethan in a Street Fight in Osaka

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Ethan in a Street Fight in Osaka

I’ve been lucky enough to take Ethan to Japan twice… I’m glad he has fallen in love with the country as much as I have! When we were in Osaka, we got into a pretty extreme street fight, since these kinds of things happen a lot in Japan. Unfortunately, Ethan lost the fight because I was too busy taking photos. I feel kind of bad about that, but he’ll always live on in my memory.

Ethan in a Street Fight in Osaka

Photo Information

Date Taken2021-02-22 13:55:37
Camera
Camera Make
Exposure Time
Aperture
ISO
Focal Length
Flash
Exposure Program
Exposure Bias

Morning Winery Tour on Waiheke Island

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Morning Winery Tour on Waiheke Island

When we stayed on Waiheke for a few days, we ended up heading over to try out a few different wineries. I don’t have a perfect memory, but I seem to remember this beach was the home to Man o’ War wineries. I didn’t know what was over on the other side of the dock, so I launched the quad to swing it around and get a sense of the whole coastline.

Morning Winery Tour on Waiheke Island

Photo Information

Date Taken2017-12-08 14:10:36
CameraFC6310
Camera MakeDJI
Exposure Time1/500
Aperture6.3
ISO100
Focal Length8.8 mm
FlashNo flash function
Exposure ProgramProgram AE
Exposure Bias

Passport Sunday Edit Party!

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:44:00 GMT

I ended up at this rather unique place in New Zealand, so I thought it would be a fun place to make a mini tutorial for you. If you’re a Passport Sunday member then you’ll get to see the making-of.

Editing the Yellow Carpet

I jumped across for you… Oh, what a thing to do… ‘Cause you were all yellow…

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Daily Photo – The Yellow Carpet

This area of New Zealand is about exactly halfway between Queenstown and Te Anau. What a cool spot, eh? You pass a little “Scientific Research Area,” which I thought sounded a bit mysterious and Area 51ish. So, I happened to park the truck to get out to pee, and I ended up walking into the bush to see this. At first, I thought it was all yellow because thousands of people were doing what I was doing, but that is not the case. And no, did not pee in this stuff… I went over to some dead bushes or something to make them, perhaps, more dead.

The Yellow Carpet

Photo Information

Date Taken2014-08-17 15:05:34
CameraILCE-7R
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/320
Aperture8
ISO160
Focal Length42.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
Exposure Bias

Stewing Away

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Stewing Away

It looks like this lion is just kind of naturally angry. I suppose that is some sort of a natural selection trait. Lions that look super friendly and happy may be easily slain by other lions. However, I wonder if animals that look happier (like dolphins and dogs) are actually the ones surviving more because humans think they look more cute and affable, so we kill less of them.

Stewing Away

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-09-17 19:18:46
CameraILCE-6400
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/320
Aperture6.3
ISO250
Focal Length338.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Boat Action in Thailand

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Boat Action in Thailand

Out on the island of Koh Samui, pretty much everyone seemed to have a boat, and pretty much everyone had a perfect upper body from moving the boat around all day. I thought, man, it might be fun to move here for a year and just get in super good shape and enjoy the island life. I can actually see the appeal of moving here for a while!

Boat Action in Thailand

Photo Information

Date Taken2018-03-21 19:00:37
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/1250
Aperture4.5
ISO200
Focal Length29.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Cool Castle in Toronto

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Cool Castle in Toronto

Who knew that Toronto had this medieval style castle? Well, I guess if you live in Toronto you know it… being a castlephile, I did a little research ahead of time and decided to come out here at night when all the lights come on. While there, I also discovered they host castle dinners on some nights… had I done more research, I definitely would have partaken in that medieval feast!

Cool Castle in Toronto

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-08-02 20:04:27
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time2.5
Aperture4
ISO100
Focal Length24.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Cool Castle in Toronto

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Cool Castle in Toronto

Cool Castle in Toronto

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-08-02 20:04:27
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time2.5
Aperture4
ISO100
Focal Length24.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

The Ritz-Carlton in Tianjin

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – The Ritz-Carlton in Tianjin

These hotels are always nice, and the Chinese sometimes take them to the next level of palatial. This is not even a ballroom or anything. It’s just one of a ton of different hallways… I’m amazed at the level of decor and quality in these places. It reminds me a bit of Versailles in a way. I got one of the ladies from the hotel to walk down the shiny floor to give it a little more personality.

The Ritz-Carlton in Tianjin

Photo Information

Date Taken2018-06-12 17:29:32
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time0.6
Aperture13
ISO100
Focal Length29.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

The Watering Hole

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – The Watering Hole

We found a beautiful tree in Botswana where we decided to have a picnic in the wild while we waited on elephants. We didn’t know if they would actually come by, but, lo and behold, they did. There must have been about 50 of them, a collection of a few families. They would walk a while, get a drink, take a bath, and get back in the convoy. Fun fact you may not know… what is a grouping of elephants called? A memory. Maybe one of the greatest names of a group of animals ever.

The Watering Hole

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-09-24 20:41:03
CameraILCE-6400
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/2000
Aperture6.3
ISO200
Focal Length448.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Road Trip along the East Coast of New Zealand

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Machine Elf 37 in 360!

Here is the epic 360 version of Machine Elf 37 – String Theory. You can watch on YouTube and aim the camera in any direction. If you have a fast connection, and a powerful system I recommend choosing the 8K version. Enjoy, and for an even cooler experience, check out all of the Machine Elf creations in VR via the TRIPP app!

Daily Photo – Road Trip along the East Coast of New Zealand

In the middle of the worldwide Covidparty, with NZ opening up, I took off on an epic road trip to discover new parts of New Zealand. It was my first time up along the east coast of the north island, and most of it is not quite accessible by road. But, everything is accessible by drone which is great. Besides, it’s a lot easier to get the drone up and around rather than my body. My drone allows my body to relax in its natural state: laziness… on this day however I did drag myself up a hill and it was absolutely worthwhile!

Road Trip along the East Coast of New Zealand

Photo Information

Date Taken2020-07-21 16:41:13
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/200
Aperture4
ISO250
Focal Length24.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

The Temple

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Full Edit for Passport Members

If you’re a Passport Member then you know every Sunday has a brand new video! This week’s is a bit more complex than others because there is quite a bit of work to do in Aurora and Photoshop to make it even better. Enjoy!

The Temple Edit

This has one of those extreme saturation problems that can be difficult to fix in Aurora, but I show you a little bit about how I do it. There is a final cleanup in Photoshop as well in a last step.

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Daily Photo – The Temple

I sneaked down through security to get this photo right at dusk. I don’t know why they didn’t want people down there… probably because it is under construction and they didn’t want anyone to get hurt. But I wasn’t worried about that… I did actually go inside for a while… it was really wild to be in here totally alone.

The Temple

Photo Information

Date Taken2014-07-28 01:11:21
CameraILCE-7R
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time2
Aperture4.5
ISO160
Focal Length11.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Awesome People in Madagascar

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Awesome People in Madagascar

Here’s another photo I got with my Pixel 4 while I was stuck for a few days without my big boy camera. Air Madagascar lost our luggage for a few days and I had forgotten to hand-carry my Sony. This sucked, but it also forced me to use my mobile phone to get as many photos as possible. The Pixel 4 has a really smart machine-learning tool to help blur out the background to make it look like I shot this with a Leica 50mm!

Awesome People in Madagascar

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-10-03 15:25:21
CameraPixel 3 XL
Camera MakeGoogle
Exposure Time1/1000
Aperture1.8
ISO52
Focal Length4.4 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramProgram AE
Exposure Bias

Afternoon Autumn Walks

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Afternoon Autumn Walks

Another day in Autumn means another day for a walk to a new place. I feel really lucky that all these places are just a short walk from home. One of my favorite things about New Zealand are all the various sorts of trees… and they all go through their Autumn shadings at slightly different times.

Afternoon Autumn Walks

Photo Information

Date Taken2020-04-10 16:20:26
CameraPixel 4
Camera MakeGoogle
Exposure Time1/1800
Aperture1.7
ISO48
Focal Length4.4 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramProgram AE
Exposure Bias

Floating Over and Under the Farm

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Floating Over and Under the Farm

Here is another photo from Gisborne that I took with the drone. It wasn’t until I got high above this estuary when I realized even more beautiful shapes. It reminds me that I should really get that drone up and out more to see all the cool patterns that are hidden at eye level.

Floating Over and Under the Farm

Photo Information

Date Taken2020-07-20 13:13:49
CameraFC2204
Camera MakeDJI
Exposure Time1/1000
Aperture2.8
ISO100
Focal Length4.4 mm
FlashNo Flash
Exposure ProgramProgram AE
Exposure Bias+0.3

Walking on the Dock

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Photos in New Zealand

I just saw this funny video about people that take the same photos over and over again in New Zealand.

Daily Photo – Walking on the Dock

I probably should have photoshopped all the bird poop off that cool dock first… I don’t know why I didn’t. It would have taken me LESS time to write a few sentences about how I lament not doing it. This is yet another area of my life where I have regrets… If I could have just thought ahead, about how I would be spending 120 seconds writing this, rather than spending 60 seconds with content-aware patching. Oh, how I wish I could rewrite the past… Anyway, this is a 9-photo panorama.

Walking on the Dock

Photo Information

Date Taken2021-02-10 20:39:51
Camera
Camera Make
Exposure Time1/200
Aperture3.8
ISO
Focal Length8.6 mm
Flash
Exposure Program
Exposure Bias+1.3

Sunset on the Farm

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Sunset on the Farm

We spent about two weeks at this amazing farm in Gisborne where I was taking photos on a commission. The first week or so, the weather was terrible and there was little or no sun. It made for some very moody and cool photos, but I was really looking forward to getting more natural light. Then, after another long day of storms, the sky opened up a bit…

Sunset on the Farm

Photo Information

Date Taken2020-07-24 16:56:10
CameraILCE-7RM3
Camera MakeSony
Exposure Time1/160
Aperture8
ISO200
Focal Length41.0 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramManual
Exposure Bias

Anachronisms in the Steampunk Museum

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 13:01:00 GMT

Daily Photo – Anachronisms in the Steampunk Museum

When I was in Oamaru, New Zealand, I stopped at this rather eclectic Steampunk Museum. It was a quirky place, for sure, as one might expect. There were a bunch of asian tourists there dressing up in Victorian steampunk outfits, and I found the whole scene to be rather unusual, so I took some photos! What is Steampunk? It is an imagined future where electricity was never invented but steam technology kept improving.

Anachronisms in the Steampunk Museum

Photo Information

Date Taken2019-12-14 16:30:20
CameraPixel 4
Camera MakeGoogle
Exposure Time1/80
Aperture1.7
ISO188
Focal Length4.4 mm
FlashOff, Did not fire
Exposure ProgramProgram AE
Exposure Bias

Editing Photos from the Singapore Bar

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:35:00 GMT

Editing Older Mobile Phone Photos

I’ve been having a great time going through older photos I got on my mobile phone and processing them in Aurora. If you’re a Passport Member, then today, you’ll get to see me edit these two previous photos from Singapore. I went a little extreme with the HDR, but I was just kinda in that mood!

And now on to the video…

Editing Photos from the Singapore Bar

I just can’t remember the name of this place, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. If I wasn’t so lazy, I would do a Google reverse image search to find it, which I have to now from time to time because my memory fails. Either way, you’ll see how I use these JPGs in Aurora along with different presets to create different looks from two different angles of the same place.

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