I had to abandon my original pick from the photostream of Mattia Notari. The pic is interesting and the composition is superb. But after discovering self-titled “Anonymous #2″—and, yes, there is another and another—I could choose no […]
Author: Joe Wilcox
Flickr a Day 113: ‘Barber Shop’
Documentary photographer Akshay Mahajan shot today’s selection on Aug. 24, 2007, using Nikon D200. With nearly 48,000 views, the image certainly is popular. Vitals: f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/50 sec, 18mm. He is from Bombay, India, but lives in New Delhi.
Akshay joined Flickr in November 2004. While active on the service, you will find more photos on Instagram.
Nexus 6 is Ready, Now I Just Need a Project Fi Invite
The waiting begins. This afternoon I asked the great Google god to bless me with an invite. If my homage is accepted, someday soon I can pay for the privilege of using the company’s new piggyback cellular phone service. The thing is so exclusive, only one smartphone is supported. It’s Nexus 6, or nothing, baby. I own one, so happens.
Project Fi switches between Sprint and T-Mobile cellular networks for core connectivity alongside wireless hotspots. That’s why I call it a piggyback service; Google is not building out its own infrastructure. Fi is contextually conceived and consumed. Nexus 6 switches networks based on location and availability. Your phone number traverses devices, providing access on laptops and tablets, too. Context is what differentiates this service from every other.
Flickr a Day 112: ‘Eiffel Tower’
A magazine advertisement inspired today’s selection. My wife marveled over the Eiffel Tower, snapped using iPhone 6, on the back of a magazine cover. Hours later, on Flickr, I spotted this stronger shot that Jeroen Bennink […]
Flickr a Day 111: ‘Ferrara Busker Festival’
Today’s selection is another lesson in perspective, and also composition. July Pastorello focuses on a partial subject, yet enough for us to understand the activity, while using the people watching as background canvas that compels you […]
Moto 360 Review
A smartwatch by any other name is compromise. The question: How much are you willing to pay, if anything, for the privilege? No matter what any manufacturer promises, battery life will never be enough, particularly when daily recharging is the minimum requirement. If you use the wristwear as prescribed, no less is demanded, regardless of the device maker. None delivers daily use without sacrificing something.
Nearly all these mini-computers on the wrist aren’t smart enough. You need a phone, too. Is two of one and half-dozen of the other worth the trouble? The answer depends much on your lifestyle. If you text and drive, and can’t break the habit, a smartwatch could save your life or others. If your mobile handset feels like a ball and chain, adopting glance-and-go lifestyle can liberate you. But if your smartphone is practically surgically attached, for its frequent use, you shouldn’t add another tech accessory. If your phone battery often runs out, because you forget to plug in, don’t multiply your troubles. If you don’t wear a watch now, and haven’t for years, don’t bother.
Flickr a Day 110: ‘Salt Pans’
Drama and composition make this pic, by Dave Lansley, our pick. Interestingly, his Peru 2007 album includes about a dozen photos from the same location. Today’s selection was the one I first saw and stand-out choice […]
Epitaph
On a blustery night in February 1978, I sat in my college dorm gripped with writer’s block. A song lyric wouldn’t come, so I decided to write a poem; a rarity. Pure poetry isn’t my thing. The verse is short, and I decided then, at age 18, that it would someday be my epitaph.
I originally posted the poem with title “Lay Me Down” on Jan. 31, 2004, when this blog resided at TypePad. Rather than restore the original post, I revive instead.
Flickr a Day 109: ‘Two Seconds of Hesitation’
Our selection compliments Day 108. Both photographs use different techniques to split the viewpoint between subjects. Here, the mirror image creates dynamic perspective and leaves anyone looking closely wondering. Because to the far right, there is a man’s partial face in the reflection, watching her. The questions raised by his presence make the image more interesting—even more so with self-title “Two Seconds of Hesitation”.
Thibaud Saintin used Nikon D700 and 50mm f/1.4 lens to shoot the pic on Jan. 1, 2013, at the “Edelweiss cafe, Georgetown, Penang”. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand, where he teaches French. Vitals: f/2.2, ISO 1000, 1/40 sec, 50.4mm.
Flickr a Day 108: Bus Ride
Early Micro Fourth Thirds and oddballs like the Sigma DP1 led affordable, mirrorless cameras to popularity. Among the key benefits: Convenience of a rangefinder, like the one used on Day 87, but for much less cost; physically smaller size; and lenses that are less bulky. The DP line, like the Fuji X100 series or the Leica X1 and X2, stand out for being compacts with fixed lenses and APS-C sensors common among digital SLRs. Another, the Sony Cyber-Shot RX1, and companion RX1R, up the ante by offering something more: full-frame sensor.
A full-frame sensor is typically 24mm by 36mm with an effective focal point of 35mm. APS-C is cropped, by comparison, adding an effective multiple of around 1.5 times (depending on the camera) to the lens’ focal length. Full frame captures more detail, suffers from fewer visual artifacts, and produces better results in natural or low-light. You pay more, too. Either RX1 retails for around $2,800—for camera with fixed, non-interchangeable lens.
Justin Kern used the RX1 to shoot today’s selection, which I chose for its detail, rich color, and stark contrast—perspective smartly split between the bus interior and the road outside. Vitals: f/2, ISO 125, 1/80 sec, 35mm.
Amazon Warehouse Makes Me Mad
Yesterday, I made the mistake of ordering Harman/Kardon Nova speakers from Amazon Warehouse, which advertised: “Used, Like New. Item will come in original packaging. Packaging may be damaged. All accessories are present and undamaged”. Present, yes. Undamaged, no.
A cord connects the two speakers together, but the pins on one end were badly out of alignment. I did try to straighten out the damn things but failed. I’m not sure success would have been better than what happened: Demanding a refund (that will take days); writing a stinging one-star review; and reboxing and returning the Nova.
Big Cat in a Small Tree
Neko is primarily an indoor cat, but we do take him out for brief jaunts in the apartment complex courtyard. While he’s not trim, our bulky boy can still climb when motivated. Here he finds […]