Thoughts and Non Thoughts

Initial test for a newly bought K&F Concept Nano-C circular polarizer.  The first image has the polarizer set to minimize the reflection and glare from the flower and leaves.  The second image has the polarizer rotated 90 degrees.  The light was harsh and directional. To me, the polarizer did reduce the glare and reflections from the flower and leaves, particularly visible in the second image. The first image, however, looks a little flat to me. The polarizer works, but shooting these hibiscus flowers under better lighting conditions, i.e., even and less directional, would do wonders.  --- Handling of reflections from water or glass would be an interesting next test. --- Canon EOS M6 Canon EFM 15-45mm pancake lens K&F Concept Nano-C HMC CPL 49mm Both images shot in raw and converted via Canon DPP4.0 and slightly cropped.

These orchids were shot using the "Portrait" camera setting of an iPhone. After asking me to "move further away," the phone's AI gave quite an impressive output, blurring the background. The second image above is without the "computational photography" applied. I would say that this setting works well in creating images that focus on the main subject and blur distracting elements like the fence in the background. Here's another shot — the first image is without the computational effect and the second has it applied. It still works, though notice that the stems of the flower on the upper left of the image and below the main bunch at the center have been blurred, too — the flowers appear to be floating in the air. This setting is good if you want to focus on a single subject, but look out for unexpected blurring effects.

 January 25-28, 2024. Glorietta Mall, Makati

 Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... I posted a DIY method for cleaning my Canon DSLR sensor .  It's been a while and the universe has moved on. Today I use a better, and I believe safer, method. The wipes are specific for a particular sensor (I can't believe how small the APS-C sensor is). There's a small bottle for the liquid (only one drop per cleaning).  The wipes are single use, but a pack of 10 costs less than eight dollars online. Happy with the results on my Canon EOS M6!

It's in Taguig City, Philippines. It's even called Venice Grand Canal Mall . 😀

This cart sounded best at a tracking force of 2.1 grams. It's the final touch to the fine tuning of the system. In audio nirvana right now.

Let's grab some breakfast from Dean and Deluca A hearty choco sig You be the newborn I'll be your new dad Way back in '91 Your sweet smile, look at you -- my grown-up girl ... Come to your old dad tell me -- who do you love Who makes the traffic interesting Rescues a dreary Sunday Who makes me feel like a hero again Honey it's you -- my grown up little girl (adapted from lyrics of Steely Dan's "Janie Runaway")

This par 71 course is built along the Candaba swamp (a nature preserve) and water comes into play in almost all holes. And bunkers too, with Boracay-like sand! It's like being in the beach! The greens on the back nine are nice and fast (the original 9 holes), but the front nine greens are very slow. It's a nice course nonetheless, with views of Mt Arayat. Wish there were more trees as it can get really hot. White sand in the bunkers. Water, water everywhere. If you play it right, ie, "dartboard golf," you can manage this course. Scored 82.:)

The Nomos catalogue states: "Although an anti-reflective coating will reduce light reflection, it changes the appearance of the watch, making it look duller, and can also change the colour effect of the hands. For these reasons NOMOS does not use anti-reflection coating on glass." In subdued warm lighting the Orion 38 Datum White indeed has that classic vintage dress watch look; the dial looks more beige than white, and the domed crystal is visible. I actually like it if this is what Nomos means in their catalogue. A chameleon of a watch.

If watches had personalities, then these two JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) watches would represent two opposites. While the SARB065 immediately grabs your attention with its sunburst dial and contrasting second hand, the SARW011 is more subtle in its appeal. Only by looking closely at the enamel dial, the blued hands, and the power reserve and date complications will you begin to appreciate the depth of its character. One is an extrovert and the other one is more introspective. Like girlfriends, it really depends on what you prefer. You can have one that is lots of fun and one that is looking for a more lasting relationship but has a lot to offer. Fortunately for us, with watches we can have both.

Beach! Sun! Fun! Less than three hours from Manila. It's more fun in the Philippines!

"No crackling fire or chestnuts roasting, But we got some coconuts and rum for toasting Don't need a snowman we'll build castles in the sand I'm in a Christmas Paradise You and me underneath a beach umbrella, we don't need no mistletoe at all No need to hurry we don't have to worry there's no where else to be But the starry sky and the Christmas lights when the sun sets on the sea" - from Christmas Paradise by Carole King

Canon DLSRs of recent years have in-camera features that are supposed to extend Dynamic Range. One feature - Highlight Tone Priority (HTP) - aims to retain details and prevent clipping of highlights (bright areas). Another feature - Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO) - aims to lift details from shadows (darker areas). ALO is deemed useful for high contrast scenes, eg, backlit subjects; HTP is deemed useful for high-key shots. Both are used on jpegs. For the Canon 550D, HTP is enabled or disabled within the menu (Cn Fn 6), while ALO has four settings (Off, Low, Standard, Strong). ALO is disabled if HTP is turned on. I did a few test shots using the EF 17-40 mm F4/L lens. The images below were taken a few seconds of each other and have not been edited except for resizing. Aperture f/5.6 and shutter speed at 640 and ISO 100, except for the image with HTP on at shutter speed of 1250 and ISO 200. The effects of HTP and ALO are not s...