Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

During the last three years, I have decided to give myself a birthday gift all wrapped up with a small tag that reads, “To:   Omar, From:  Omar”. That way, I know I’ll be getting at least one birthday present. It’s like an emotional insurance or safety net if you will.

I started with a digital camera in 2008 and a sleek smart phone in 2009.  This year, I’m still thinking about it.  On my list are:

• A “All-in-One” computer system.
• A DSLR camera.
• A WiFi Kindle electronic book reader.
• An Apple iPod Touch.
• A 19″ high-resolution monitor.

In order to get the most bang from my buck, I’m reading about all of the above on the Internet.  There are so many choices that’s it’s a difficult task making a decision and not feeling guilty for buying a lemon after spending my hard-earned dough.

Last week I went to Metro Mall to take a look at a HP computer system which I had seen on the Internet.  Hewlett-Packard recently opened an outlet in a joint venture with Panafoto.  I was curious to see what they carried and the range of prices for the gift of my dreams.

This is how the computer store looked like.  I felt like a fish in the water inside this geeky place.  Take a look; you might feel the same way if you enjoy computers.

Photograph of a Hewlett-Packard store at Metro Mall in Panama City, Panama. The place was decorated in very good taste. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

During my visit at the store, I noticed how popular the laptops and the notebooks were. The classic tower CPUs were gone. All the desktop computers were "All-in-One" models. That seems to be the trend in Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A general view of the store. The system that captured my attention is the one towards the right beside the computer with the green monitor. It has a price tag of a little over a thousand bucks. It's a little steep for me, but its features are outstanding. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Fortunately my birthday is on December, so I still have a couple of months before making my final decision.  But let me say, it’s very hard to decide when there are so many nice things out there.  If only I had a limitless wallet the decision would be to buy them all.  Day dreaming, I know.  Meanwhile, I’m busy making a purchasing decision and counting my greenbacks in the process  Good Day.

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Liliputian Icebergs

Photograph of several salt crystals spread over one of my blue T-Shirts. The crystals look like minuscule icebergs floating on a blue ocean of fabric. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

For almost two years I’ve been getting my feet wet in the exciting field of photography.  If you have been following my posts, you probably know how much I appreciate taking pictures and sharing them with you here in Lingua Franca. During these past two years, most of the camera settings have been automatic, since I was more interested in aspects like framing, composition, cropping, zooming and other non technical stuff.

Lately,  I’ve changed course and been involved in re-reading the camera’s manual and remembering what certain buttons are supposed to do.  Even though I own a modest compact consumer camera, it still has many features which will allow me to grow in the field, without having to buy a more sophisticated digital SLR system.  That will come when the time is right.

For example, I always wanted to take pictures of salt crystals, just to feel the experience of doing it.  I read about it on the Internet.  Even though it’s not a perfect shot, it gave me the opportunity of toying with concepts such as ISO Sensitivity, Aperture Values and Shutter Speed.  I plan to keep on exploring the amazing field of photography before I step up into DSLR territory.

Below are the technical properties of the picture shown above.  If technical stuff is not your cup of tea, you can click away to other more interesting sites.  If you wish to know how this picture was taken, please keep on reading.  Here we go.

• Camera:  Canon PowerShot A720 IS
• Lens:  5.8-34.8 mm 1:2.8-4.8
• Shooting Mode:    Aperture-Priority AE
• My Colors Mode:    Vivid
• Tv (Shutter Speed):    0.4
• Av (Aperture Value):    2.8
• Light Metering:    Evaluative
• ISO Speed:    200
• Focal Length:    5.8 mm
• AF Mode:    Manual Focus
• Image Quality:    Fine
• White Balance:    Auto

Some of the photography jargon is still blurry and fuzzy, but I know sooner or later, I’ll understand it  It’s a matter of persistence.  As the saying goes, “practice makes perfection.” Meanwhile, please bear with me until the pictures get better.  Thank you for your patience and Good Day.

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Blurry Objects in the Dark

As my interest for photography grows, I like to foray into new image processing territory.  One of the interesting things you can do in photography, is to adjust the camera and shoot photographs of blurry objects in dark environments.  By adjusting the camera, I mean manually adjusting the shutter speed and the aperture of the diaphragm.

The shutter speed control both the amount of light entering the camera, and the way that action or movement is captured.  Fast shutter speed freeze the action, whereas slower setting blur the movement.

On the other hand, modifying the size of the diaphragm to a smaller or larger diameter makes the image dimmer or brighter.  In other words, the aperture controls the brightness of the image.  Both adjustments allow you to control the total exposure to light the film or sensor receivers.  Also, the smaller the aperture, the greater the foreground to background sharpness or “depth of field”.

Another neat trick is to switch the timing at which the flash fires.  For example, the “Second Curtain” of my Canon PowerShot A720 IS fires the flash right before the shutter closes.  This action allows you to shoot images in which, for example, a car’s tail lights seems to trail off behind.  I’ve always enjoyed this type of pictures depicted in color photography magazines.

Several evenings ago—about 7:30 p.m.—my wife and I went out to Via Ricardo Eloy Alfaro, also kown as “Tumba Muerto”,  to shoot pictures of automobiles in motion.  During that particular evening it had been raining, so we found the nice effect of bright lights in motion reflected by wet streets.

To experiment with my camera, I made the following adjustments before leaving our house:

• ISO Settings: 400
• Aperture Settings: AV (f(2.8)
• Shutter Speed: TV (1/8)

Below are some of the pictures that resulted from my new experience.  Here we go.

The black automobile in the foreground seems to be moving faster than a jet plane. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

In this specific picture, there was a red light, so the cars were still. Notice the brightly colored wet street in the background. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

This pictured captured exactly the blurred effect I was looking for. I was elated. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

In this surrealistic photograph, a yellow taxi seems to be entering an eerie twilight zone. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The length of the truck was strangely stretched by the camera light effects. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Notice the pleasing effect of the lights being reflected by the wet street. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The camera's effects caught this car in motion and gave us a blurry image full of bright colors and trailing lights. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

This image depicts the streamlined shape of two cars in blurry motion. The effect on the human eye is interesting. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

It was a most enjoyable evening.  I learned that the sky is the limit regarding the photographic effects you can obtain with a cheap camera and an adventurous spirit.   Good Day.

Note: On the computer radio Sissel is singing Solitaire.  She sounds angelic.

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Picture of the Day: Macro Photography

(Credit: Pixdaus.com)

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State of the Art Candle Light Compact Cameras

These cameras are shirt-pocket gadgets containing new sensors that are specially designed for low-light photography. (Credit: The New York Times.com)

For many years Madison Avenue was telling us that pixel crammed digital cameras was the way to go if you wanted attractive pictures.  This created the myth that cameras with the most pixels would take better pictures.  This myth has been debunked.  Now we know that pixel packed cameras are only needed if you plan to print large pictures.  For normal postcards and web images a 5 MB pixel digital camera will do just fine.

Currently the trend is to cough out cameras with redesigned sensors that are specially designed for low-light photography.  These new cameras mark an important step forward in personal photography.

Recently (at long last), camera companies have begun diverting their research efforts from “how to get more megapixels” to “how to get better photos.” They’re working on things that really do matter in a consumer camera, like sensor size, stabilization — and fixing low-light photography.  This is the case of the the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR and the Sony DSC-WX1 ($320 and $350, respectively, before discounting).  With these state of the art cameras you can practically say good bye to the ubiquitous tripod.

Both cameras can choose the correct mode (close-up, twilight, portrait, landscape and so on) automatically. Both have only a screen—no eyepiece viewfinder—which makes them tricky to use in bright sunlight. Then again, both cameras are tiny enough to rattle around in a shirt pocket. Both offer excellent face recognition, meaning that portraits are almost always focused and properly exposed. Neither offers manual focusing.

For my blogging activities my Canon A720 IS is just fine, since most, if not all my photographs are taken in broad daylight.  Even though I have taken some photographs in dim light, the results have been satisfactory.  However, I know persons that like to take pictures at night and are having problems with their Canon digital compact cameras.  If this is your case, then this new option could be helpful to you.

I’m glad that camera manufacturers are now looking at other improvement areas besides more mega pixels.  Good Day.

Source:  Low Light Becomes a Highlight - The New York Times

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Photograph of the Day: High Tech Photography

(Credit: Izismile.com)

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Apple Lifts the Curtain of New iPhone

Photograph of Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 3G S. (Credit: Apple Inc.)

After much speculation on the Internet over a new iPhone and the possible appearance of Steve Jobs at at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the waiting is now over.

No, Steve Jobs was not present at the event nor his name was even mentioned by his people and yes, a new iPhone was announced as expected.  Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, was not present, as some commentators had expected. Mr. Jobs is on a six-month medical leave and is not expected to return until later this month.

Apple offered its loyal fans their periodic supply of catnip on Monday with a new version of the iPhone, called the iPhone 3G S. The S stands for speed, and upgraded internal components will allow the device to run more than twice as fast as the previous model, according to Philip W. Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president for worldwide product marketing.

Mr. Schiller delivered much of the keynote presentation at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, a meeting of Apple software makers that will last through Friday.

With co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs absent until his medical leave is over at the end of June, Apple’s biggest unveiling at its annual conference for software developers was a new model of the iPhone, the 3G S. It looks the same but sports a faster processor, longer battery life, an internal compass, a video camera and a photo camera with better resolution and auto-focus.

A 16-gigabyte version of the 3G S will cost $199 and a 32-gigabyte version will be $299.

The 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G, which came out last year, now costs $99, instead of $199. When the iPhone debuted two years ago, eager Apple fans had to shell out $499 for a 4-gigabyte version and $599 for 8 gigs.

The low cost entry-level iPhone for $99, could make the iPhone accessible to cost-conscious consumers and undercut competitors like Palm. Palm’s new smartphone, the Pre, which went on sale Saturday, costs $199 after a mail-in rebate. Sprint, which is selling the Pre exclusively, offers a two-year service contract that is cheaper than the one AT&T offers for the iPhone.

The phone, available next week—June 19— in the United States and some other countries, comes with a 3-megapixel camera compared to the current iPhone 3G’s 2 megapixels.  It can shoot video at 30 frames per second at VGA (640×480) resolution, matching competing phones and addressing a shortcoming of the current phones.

The iPhone 3G S also includes still camera upgrades for the photography crowd—and it should be noted that the iPhone rivals SLRs for activity on Yahoo’s Flickr photo-sharing site, outpacing all mobile phones and all but one actual camera.

Apple also used the industry gathering to announce new features and price cuts on its MacBook Pro line of laptops. All new MacBook Pros will feature up to seven hours of battery life—a 40 percent increase from the last version, because of the new  lithium-ion batteries Apple is using.

The new batteries are sealed into the laptops, as opposed to the removable batteries that have been in previous MacBooks. Apple is saying the power units can be recharged up to 1,000 times—up to three times as much as other batteries. New MacBook Pros will also feature an SD memory-card slot for simpler photo transfers.

The new, lower prices suggest the company is taking aim at recession-wary consumers and is willing to sacrifice at least some profit to increase its share of the market for personal computers.

Industry analyst Michael Gartenberg, with the Interpret market-research firm, said the new iPhone pricing breaks through an important barrier for consumers. It will likely cause other smart phone makers to offer something similar, he said.

Very good news from Apple and… Good Day!

Related reading: Apple drops entry iPhone to $99, unveils new model – Yahoo!.tech

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The Panama National Lottery and the Media

Another long standing tradition in the National Lottery is having their events widely covered by both radio and television.  These broadcasts create a frenzy amongst lottery ticket buyers eager to listen or watch the drawings every week.  The adrenalin levels are high and the finger nail biting starts.

The drawings are broadcasted by more than ten radio and three television stations.  At the end of the event everybody knows exactly what the three prizes were.  It is that popular.

Below are several photographs showing broadcasters and cameramen getting ready to cover the event.  Here we go.

Mr. Ramos, broadcaster of TVN-2, interviews Nicole Ríos, a popular teen pop singer which stepped into the limelight with the Canta Conmigo talent contest. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This lady is not a politician. She is a broadcaster of cable TV Channel 21 covering the event with great emotion. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A group of RPC Television employees makes the final equipment adjustments before the events takes place. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A cameraman of RPC Television-Channel 4 tests its sophisticated Hitachi television camera before the drawing begin. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

The smiling face of this gentleman tells me he's having fun at work. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

The event's director of RPC Television-Channel Four is counting the seconds for the show to start. Everybody is ready to shoot. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This cameraman of Televisora Nacional-Canal Dos is adjusting the camera lens to make sure everything is perfect for the event. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

As you can see, there are very professional people covering the details of the event for the whole country.  We all depend on their expertise to determine if we are rich or not.  “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.” Good Day.

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Artistic Photography

Among the many things that I enjoy about digital photography, are the endless possibilities of making artistic creations  from  an original photograph.  There are extraordinary programs out there that enable you to become an overnight photographer with pretty good images.

My photographic Guru, Michael Moore, is guiding me in this fascinating excursion of digital photography.  Below are some of his creations of an original photograph taken to a handsome kid—Nicolas—who was playing with his skateboard in front  of the San Francisco de Asís Cathedral a few weeks ago.

Ain’t he sweet?  Here we go.

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

(Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

As you can see, with the appropriate software the sky is the limit for creating jaw dropping  images like these ones.  Yep, I’m  falling  in love more and more  with photography.  Good Day.

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Photograph of the Day: Point and Shoot

(Credit: Izismile, It's Fun We Trust)

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