all you haterz drinking your hatorade

I remember when during my freshman year, I asked a Taiwanese friend if I looked like a citizen. Without a moment's hesitation, a prompt "no" left his mouth. To be fair, I wasn't particularly surprised (for reasons I thought were important), since I hadn't been back in two years, didn't follow trends, and had no idea what the current look was. Now that I've been back recently, I understand how different I looked from everybody else back then, in the way I dressed, the way I did my hair, down to even my complexion. Although I wasn't surprised by my friend, his words stuck like gooey tar. Painful and forever clinging. I couldn't help but feel that the only culture I ever would feel a true sense of belonging would cast me as an outsider by my physical appearance alone. So the question that eventually developed was: just how Taiwanese am I really?

Let me give some background history of Taiwan. Taiwan's human history dates back (with evidence of settlements) approximately 30,000 years. Aborigines is a term used to describe Taiwanese indigenous people. Their ancestors supposedly inhabited Taiwan 4,000 years ago, and were related to Austronesian and Polynesians. Through interactions between the indigenous people and the later majority Chinese population, such as intermarriage, some Taiwanese physical characteristics came into existence. The rest came from foreign rule and inhabitation that altered, added, subtracted, or enhanced the then present gene pool. In the 1600s, it was the Dutch that made an establishment in Taiwan. Even the French had control of Keelung from 1884 to 1885, and held a campaign in Taiwan by fighting the Sino-French War in August 1884. Japan had complete control over Taiwan in 1895, after Japanese forces entered the capital at Tainan (at the time). Though not ideal, Japanese rule had a significant impact on Taiwanese culture and even its infrastructure. For example, education became mandatory for school age children. The Presidential Building was even built under Japan's watch. Until October 25, 1945, when the US Navy obtained the formal surrender of Japanese military in Taipei, Taiwan had not known much about self governing. It's culture and people had adapted over the centuries, with the original genetic code hidden deep within the growing and often foreign population.

As most Taiwanese know, the Cairo Conference declared the post-war Allies agreement, that all territories of China stolen by Japan would be returned. However, Taiwan was listed as one such Chinese territory (extremely debatable), effectively granting China total sovereignty over the island. Naturally, due to an unstable government, language, and cultural barriers, there resulted significant Taiwanese unrest. This of course led to the reign of White Terror in which thousands of Taiwanese were tortured and punished for their real or falsified resistance to the Republic of China government. After the Chinese Civil War, in which the Nationalist party lost power to the rising Communist party, the Kuomintang (KMT/nationalist) party relocated from Nanjing to Taipei, fortifying the Republic of China's presence in Taiwan (adding some 2 million people and soldiers). From 1948 to 1987, Taiwan was ruled by the KMT under martial law. As the Civil War continued without truce, KMT soldiers built the Central Cross-Island Highway in the 1950s, on the smaller Eastern Taiwanese islands, to have military clashes with Chinese Communist soldiers. Considering my dad's stories and age, I'm guessing this is where he completed his military draft service as a second-lieutenant. The next bit is from wikipedia:


"In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was formed and inaugurated as the first opposition party in Taiwan to counter the KMT. A year later Chiang Ching-kuo lifted martial law. After the death of Chiang Ching-Kuo in January 1988, Dr. Lee Teng-hui succeed as President and became the first ethnically Taiwanese president of the ROC. Lee continued to democratize the government and decrease the concentration of government authority in the hands of mainland Chinese. Under Lee, Taiwan underwent a process of localization in which Taiwanese culture and history were promoted over a pan-China viewpoint in contrast to earlier KMT policies which had promoted a Chinese identity"


So that mostly catches us up to modern times. The question remains until now, where does my family fit in? Most Taiwanese families extend three to maybe 5 generations maximum. This makes sense since Taiwan's population today is estimated at 23.2 million, with 98% being of Han Chinese ethnicity. 86% are descendants of early Han Chinese immigrants, clumped together by the term "native Taiwanese" with Taiwanese aborigines. Of this ~86%, 70% migrated from Southern Fujian, and 16% migrated from Guangdong 12% of the total population are 外省人, and they are immigrants post Chinese Civil War.

As most people who've attempted this know, tracing one's lineage beyond the times of computers and databases, hard files, and even DNA proof is difficult and subject to significant error. Fortunately for my father's side, there was one doctor in the family (in my great grandfather's generation) who went to 台大醫學院 (interesting sidenote), and accumulated a large fortune. For whatever reason, he had a great interest in his lineage, and supposedly spent a large percentage of his wealth in Chiayi, digging through old records, speaking with neighbors with a seemingly similar origin, and hiring employees to help with the legitimization process. My father was given part of the task of transcribing some of the findings from pen to paper. The results are something I really just learned more in detail yesterday.

So finally, the part you've been waiting for. You're probably asking, why did I talk so much about Taiwan's history when all I was questioning was the age of my family tree. But it's important, you'll see. Ultimately, this doctor discovered that my family extends further than ten generations Taiwanese and originated from Han China, like the large majority. But considering we are at the very least (since it was generally practiced within my family to marry at approximately 20 and have children), 200 years native. We saw the Sino-French war, and lived through the Japanese and KMT rule to tell this story today, coming around circle back to my question. I spent this time discussing Taiwanese history, because for the most part, it is MY history. America's history begins (not including the indigenous indians) 200+ years ago. A large majority of America's population immigrated several years after the Revolution, and thus, despite proposed ties to the country, or deep cultural connections, these people are not much more "American" than most Taiwanese are measurably Taiwanese. In contrast, my family has experienced Taiwan since its hallmark rise into the textbooks. Through thick and thin, through foreign and indigenous rule, my family somehow stayed intact long enough for me to type this today. I can think of few things i'm prouder of. So I think it goes without saying that one day, I would very much like to read the book of my relative's findings, and retrace his steps. Being a Born-Again Taiwanese and a inherent skeptic, I am drawn towards a rediscovery of my origins. Rather, my ethnicity demands it.

Overall, a lot of this is based on one man's findings, but it is tremendously encouraging to think my friend was wrong. Nowadays, I'm not bothered by his response, but instead use it as a nifty introduction to my history. I am no longer unsure of who I am, but instead am certain that I am a descendant of a proud people (and that quite frankly, is enough). Forgetting lineage and family trees for just a moment, I am Taiwanese ultimately because I choose to identify myself as such. Though next time when I hear a similar response to my question, i'll be sure to interject with a snarky comment that they are significantly less Taiwanese than me. Like a mudblood, or something (rude....).

glimpse of my past

Growing up in the United States, I was exposed to Ren and Stimpy, Hey Arnold!, Doug, Rugrats, Blues Clues, Barney, and Dexter Laboratory. Let's face it, this lineup isn't exactly the most mentally stimulating and to make it all worse, I watched them religiously as a child. After all, they were cartoons, which generally meant a plot dedicated to cheap laughs; as a child, I was in heaven. But then somewhere along the timeline of my life, I grew tired of the same jokes and cheesy one-liners. I ultimately gave up on television altogether, but there was always another option that lurked in the back of my mind. After all, I was asian and went to Chinese school so when I was younger, all the kids around me would watch Japanese animation and read Japanese comics (in Chinese). One problem: I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and my Chinese, quite frankly, sucked. Exposure to a language I couldn't read frustrated me and in response, I avoided it like the plague. Quite counter-intuitive for the long run... since it would've made sense to use it as a motivator to learn the language.

However, every so often, my brother would bring home these VHS cassettes that had english subtitles. As I grew older, I went through a phase where I was mildly interested in anime and manga, but the language barrier prevented me from ever getting more deeply invested. My exposure was limited to the series my brother would follow (with cult-like passion), because of the accompanying subtitles. Awesome if you were the same person and liked the same exact things.

Now, my Chinese still sucks. But my "born-again Taiwanese" status and rapidly increasing interest in my heritage hasn't left anime unnoticed. I've had small nibbles in the form of One Piece, Naruto, Death Note, Bleach and a rediscovering of Evangelion Neon Genesis, Gundam, and Rorouni Kenshin. I'm not saying i'm watching them right now, but my appreciation for the artform has increased a thousandfold. And as I dig into my past, I'm finding bits and pieces of my first lackluster attempt, in the form of drawings, toys, and unopened manga. By dusting off this past and re-evaluating its significance, I feel an even stronger bond and pull towards my culture. It is almost as if I've always known who I was, but didn't have the right tools to express myself.

The first picture is a google image of Rei Ayanami, from Neon Genesis Evangelion that I sketched during work today (because I felt like doodling and it was on my mind). The second drawing is of a robot from Neon Genesis that I drew 6 years ago and never finished (a good representation of my frustration and half-hearted attempt). The rest are photos of toys lying around my room that I've collected over the years. The gundams were shot using a 105 mm macro lens with extender for 1:1 ratio with two speedlights.

nevermind, I suck

Forget being healthy. This steak was worth it.

Kevin: +1. Fat tendencies: zero.

After getting off from work, I often find myself taking my bag and swinging/throwing it into a corner, changing and folding my clothes, turning on the news, and plopping on my bed until dinner. It's an unfortunate routine that I've found myself in the past few weeks, and today that changed. And hopefully, this change burned off a chunk of the >650 calories I decided to have for lunch (I find it very amusing how all the food in the hospital has nutritional values displayed). It might seem odd to some that I carry my camera while going for a run. But to me, it makes perfect sense. Just like it made sense to Zooey Deschanel and Jim Carey in "Yes, Man", and just like it made sense to those crazy kids in "Super 8", it makes sense to lug around 10 lbs and snap as you go, without giving any thought to composition or settings. At the end of the run, I didn't find any of the photos really impressive, but it made an interesting roadmap of the path I just took. More realistically, it was a prime example of really awful photography. What the hell was I thinking, running around with a camera?! At the very least, let me repeat the obvious: I just lugged around an extra ten pounds as I ran. Take that, lamb gyro, for today, I am a champion. And tonight, I shall eat steak. Ooooopsss....

flames of passion scorching the blue summer sky

Doesn't that title just get you pumped to see the photos? Or does it make me seem like a pretentious, poet-wannabe idiot? Whatever the case, here are two exposures I took literally 10 minutes apart (the sun was setting fast). The view was so fantastic, and these photos quite simply can't do it justice. I think i'm going to have to just go ahead and say that I wish you were there with me. Uploaded at 100%, for once, so you can see my reality in higher resolution.

(Manual exposure with spot metering, f/8.0, iso 200)

thoughts from work

Why don't people send more letters? I'm not looking to cause a debate but merely raise a point of frustration. Yes, it sure is convenient to go to gmail and type a quick thank you, but where is the art, the depth, the thrill of anticipation of an inbox(1)? Email is a tool, that should be considered when options have been exhausted. Perhaps it is just me, for i'm a bit of a romantic (interesting point: I was curious if romantic was strictly an adjective, but apparently it is also a noun. For those of you that have claimed you've always known, consider the structure of the word, and tell me it doesn't strike you as an adjective foremost), but when I get a letter in the mail, i'm bouncing up and down, taking painstaking measures of reading and rereading the letter, and deciding my response with mind-boggling detail. And I doubt i'm alone in the sentiment that letters are quite frankly better than an email. So imagine my response when my dear friend Ana sent me a letter. Granted, it was 6 months late, but now the letter will be with me for my next 60 years of life. The message is important, but it's the small details that tug at my heartstrings. The sprawled apology on a post-it, the pressure of each stroke of the pen, and even the color of the ink tells me a wondrous story that I'm left to interpret further. Maybe that wasn't her intent, but the words are left wide open for me to explore, because the art of language and calligraphy is subjective and I have nothing else to do in my free time. There are realms and dimensions of emotions portrayed in a hand written letter that I just can't find in Times New Roman text. So why the long winded, unnecessary, and grammatically poopy argument? Well apparently I have nothing to do during my work time either. The original point of this message, before the major sidetrack: Ana, you're wonderful and your friendship is invaluable to me.

The photo was intentionally composed so only the name would be primarily visible. Was bored and had some of those paint samples from Lowes lying around, and thought it'd be an interesting backdrop. Didn't really turn out as cool as I'd hoped though :P

demonic visitation

It's 3:30 pm, and it is really hot outside. After a long day of errands and driving, I'm exhausted so I crawl up to my room and throw my clothes into a pile and climb into bed. A few minutes go by and my pulse has slowed to a rhythmic thumping that is almost in sync with the second-hand ticking, of the alarm clock right beside my ear. I let out a long sigh of sleepy relief at finally having found time for rest. My eyes blink really quickly, but then slow considerably to a close. My face turns itself, almost as if on autopilot, to the cold part of the pillow, and I soon after fall asleep. What feels like mere seconds have gone by and i'm awake again. Or at least...I think I am. It's weird because I can't open my eyes, but I can hear my parents talking downstairs. I know for certain now that I am awake, but I have absolutely no control over my body. It is almost as if I have been trapped in a sarcophagus that is my own body, and my screams for help echo within my own head. No one can hear me. What's worse, my body has suddenly decided to give me full control of my breathing. But I can't even open my eyelids...how can I control my diaphragm? I feel myself suffocating now, my breaths becoming more distant and more strained. My attention shifts gears again because I hear my dad coming up the stairs and approaching. HELP! No one answers. He walks towards me...surely he'll tap my leg or say my name...and my mind will reboot its system and i'll break free of my prison. But I am awake, and he doesn't say anything. Instead, he walks behind my bed, and examines the painting job we've done yesterday. I can hear him inspecting, I can practically see him from outside of my body. Perhaps if I can just concentrate on moving my fingers, he'll see i'm actually awake and talk to me. Seconds pass to no avail. I'm feeling hopeless and ready to succumb, when for no apparent reason, air starts pouring into my lungs. I spring awake and my whole body lashes around like fish out of water. I inhale as though I have been holding my breath for years. I am finally awake, but my body is exhausted. I take one look at my bed, terrified of falling back asleep, and try to forget it ever happened. What I haven't told you yet is that this really happens and it isn't the first time this has happened. And sometimes, it isn't my dad walking nearby. At best, it is reality occurring around me. At worst, it is a nightmare or hallucination and I am a helpless victim at the brink of death.

Doctors have named this condition appropriately as sleep paralysis. In the 1700s, sleep paralysis was perceived as a demonic visitation. Here is a wikipedia synopsis for sleep paralysis, which summarizes it infinitely better than I ever could. But since it doesn't offer any full examples, I thought I'd offer one of which happened to me today. It is terrifying, but it comes and goes. Ironically, the webmd treatment is to sleep more.


"Physiologically, sleep paralysis is closely related to REM atonia, the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep paralysis occurs either when falling asleep, or when awakening. When it occurs upon falling asleep, the person remains aware while the body shuts down for REM sleep, and it is called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis. When it occurs upon awakening, the person becomes aware before the REM cycle is complete, and it is called hypnopompic or postdormital.

The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes "by which the individual may experience panic symptoms".[6] (described below) As the correlation with REM sleep suggests, the paralysis is not entirely complete; use of EOG traces shows that eye movement is still possible during such episodes. When there is an absence of narcolepsy, sleep paralysis is referred to as isolated sleep paralysis (ISP).

In addition, the paralysis may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations (hypnopompic or hypnagogic) and an acute sense of danger. Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual because of the vividness of such hallucinations. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it even more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since completely fanciful or dream-like objects may appear in the room alongside one's normal vision. Some scientists have proposed this condition as an explanation for alien abductions and ghostly encounters. A study by Susan Blackmore and Marcus Cox (the Blackmore-Cox study) of the University of the West of England supports the suggestion that reports of alien abductions are related to sleep paralysis rather than to temporal lobe lability. Some authors have warned of the possible misconnection between child sexual abuse (CSA) and hypnagogic/pompic phenomena and have noted that some clients after having described such an event to a fortune teller or psychic that the psychic may have suggested CSA."

i'll tell ya what I want, what I really, really want

Here are just some photos from my day for your viewing pleasure. As you can see, playing some 'Mon on the road, playing around with long shutter speeds in a moving vehicle (Manual mode, 1/20 s for the blur, f/14 iso 100. with these settings and the camera propped against the window, the inside of the car was able to stay still relative to the outside, which was thus blurred thanks to the long shutter speed), tasty beef and oyster tofu soup (i like adding a raw egg to mine), seafood pancake with squid and other little tasty nomz, and then a mess of shrimps.

Probably won't be around my computer later tonight, so let me just word vomit everything I want to say now. As ideal Kevin weekends go, this Sunday featured another day of fabulous weather and mind-numbingly simple activities, such as shopping for groceries and plotting for things to spend money on. First i'd like to point out that I am now a working citizen of the United States, so I should have finally earned the privilege of complaining about taxes and spending hard-earned cash guilt-free. I should also have the right to snort at children that still receive allowances, and snap at people who bother me while i'm drinking a beer in my underwear and watching south park. That being said, however, I have deposited all of the money i've earned into a savings account, and still ask my parents for cash on the side to spend (some would call this an allowance...uhh). So yes, I suppose that completely voids all of my rights and still puts me in the species classification right between extremely handsome, model citizen and spoiled punk-brat. Meanwhile, being an MCAT survivor and research intern extraordinaire, I have developed a bit of a wish list in my free time. These are all things that I have justified in my mind, and will hopefully make the purchases shortly. Consider this is as my public announcement, for any and all naysayers to convince me otherwise in the final moments. The list, in no particular order, is:

Litepanels Micropro LED video light

24x24 Lastolite Ezybox

Kaesaman 77 mm thread polarizer

Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S

My rationale will be presented in future posts. For now, enjoy the photos.

what a day!

Since college has started, my summers have been filled with classes and obligations. There is something quite unusual about this one, and I can't quite seem to place my finger on why...oh wait--it's because I've finally been given a summer of obligation-free bliss. Granted, I do still have to fill out my applications, but for the most part...here I am, earning my keep and learning the ways of a true housedad. Today, the weather was grand (shot at 1/500 s, f/8.0, iso 200, matrix metering), the room was painted, the lawn was mowed, and the taxes were paid. Top that all off with some of my favorite dishes (it's not everyday I get to eat 梅菜扣肉, shot at f/4, 1/25s, iso 800, spot metering), and you've got a life I wouldn't mind getting used to for the remaining two months.

I realize the photos look like poop when enlarged because I saved them at 5% original file size. Ooooops!

domestic kevin

Today was quite out of the ordinary. To begin, the weather was beautiful, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds (photos of this later). Then came the manual labor part. Huh? Yes, today my dad and I painted my room in preparation for my new bed and bedstead. After hours of work, i'm proud to say it looks almost exactly the same...oh wait. I'm about to go out and eat some dinner soon, but first, here are some photos of the painting and the fried noodles that came afterwards. Since my 70-200 was still on the camera when I was trying to snipe my neighbor getting arrested last night, I used that to take the photos of the noodles. @200, f/2.8

something to consider the next time you make veggie soup

One of the most bizarre and most awesome youtube clips ever is the Dai Mahou Tougue vegetable suicide scene. I somehow always seem to come across it whenever i'm surfing around YouTube. Enjoy! Even if you've seen it before, it's still sooooo good...

all of da lightz

It's a countdown...but for what? Let's just say I was really bored, and wanted to make a mini light-painting movie. It's going to take forever to shoot the rest of the scenes for the movie, so consider this as just a promise for now that I'll be done with it eventually. As of now, it is around 25 images that I just rotated for 3 minutes so it is mind-numbingly boring. The final production should be about 350 different images. If anything, just watch it to see the potential for future work and listen to a great song. The song is titled "The Winner Is" by Mychael Danna/ DeVotchka, and is the theme song for Little Miss Sunshine. I'm not planning on selling or distributing this video, so back off copyright trolls.

"weird smell: either mold or sadness..."

Thanks Darren for sharing this with me :) I particularly liked the last reference to Icing by Claires as false advertising, since it reminded me so much of the Johnny Cupcakes review. As much as I hate to admit it (and by that, I actually proudly embrace it), this is how i'm like in restaurants and other reviewable places. Long live Yelp! And to everyone in my life, i'm also sorry if i'm really this obnoxious.

ps: Darren, you're still a baby Hobbit man. Your choice to share changes nothing. On another note: can't wait to live with ya next year, bud!

rain, rain, go away

How is it only Thursday?! As I start planning more projects and photoshoots, I find myself bogged down by one unpredictable factor: summer rain. New Jersey has been raining a great deal this summer, and it has prevented a lot of fun shooting outside. Now, if Steve Jobs is reading this, if he could make sure that the MAC weather widget reads "sunny" on July 3rd, that would be fantastic. That day is really special to me because it marks the 2nd anniversary of my relationship with photography, and is also Red Bank's Fourth of July Fireworks display. More specifically, July 3rd was the first time my dad knowingly let me use my freshly bought d5000. Before then, it was just sitting in the study room, secretly opened and secretly repackaged, waiting for the glorious end to my summer classes (when the cardboard could be thrashed open, and the prize could be brandished proudly). A lot has happened in two years. I have become a photo editor. I have become a medical school applicant. I have become a boyfriend. And along the way, I have honed my skill and developed a strong fondness for photography. I have learned so much, and July 3rd will be my chance to prove it. Here's to hoping for a good seat, lovely weather, and another two years of photography. Forget it only being Thursday. Time is going much too quickly.

D5000, Manual Exposure, 1.6 seconds, f/8.0, 18 mm, iso 200

checklist

here is a current list of side projects I have been working on:

1) designing a library logo for a local competition

2) working on a light painting video

3) indian hunter dancer praveen photoshoot

4) faerie princess iselyn photoshoot

5) making an star trails clip

6) trying to get a gig as a second wedding photographer

any ideas or suggestions on how to best tackle them would be very much appreciated :)

Lytro Camera

Eric Cheng/Lytro.com

Last year or so, I heard that a special camera that could alter focus, after taking the shot, was being developed. Well according to this NYT article, Lytro has finally released one and their very own Dr. Ng is largely credited for this technological breakthrough. Just some excerpts from the article that summarizes what it does:

"The Lytro camera captures far more light data, from many angles, than is possible with a conventional camera. It accomplishes that with a special sensor called a microlens array, which puts the equivalent of many lenses into a small space....

But the wealth of raw light data comes to life only with sophisticated software that lets a viewer switch points of focus. This allows still photographs to be explored as never before. "

Effectively, focus can be adjusted in post-processing. Now, some might say this technology is just another way photographers can be lazy. In the digital day and age, we have the wonderful luxury of taking thousands of photographs, editing, adjusting the noise levels, adjusting the colors, and so much more from the comfort of our home. Soon, we won't even have to worry about the camera's focus. We can quite simply point the camera in a general direction and click the shutter. This might bring a whole new meaning to point-and-shoot. While I do agree to some extent that this convenience may hinder the full experience of taking a photograph, let us first for a moment consider the other conveniences available to us that are now taken for granted. Even modern film bodies and lenses are eons ahead of bellows. Furthermore, how many of us shoot in RAW? RAW format, as just an example, provides so much flexibility in the post-processing that it is almost like cheating, especially for white balance. In fact, unless settings are adjusted, the image we see on our digital cameras is not the RAW file, but an automatically in-camera edited JPEG. Photography is about the memories and the image captured foremost. It is not only about the experience, however fun it may be to the user. It is also not centered on the gear or the clean ISO a camera can produce. It is that final product that you pass on to others to share. So take a moment to consider how powerful and game-changing Lytro's technology really is. Ever wish you could go back to that almost-perfect but out-of-focus shot you took, and could just tweak it a little bit? I know I do, and maybe soon we can.

For more details, Dr Ng's thesis can be found here

thoughts from work

Today, I found out that I have actually only been working 7.5 hour work days. Apparently, 30 minutes is deducted from every day, regardless of whether or not one takes a lunch break. Needless to say, i'm in a current state of 囧rz. To take my mind off my impending test results, and to keep myself preoccupied during my free time, i've been indulging my curiosity about making money online. For all the victims of the 30 minute policy in the world (and are curious about online options), here is what i've learned after about 15 minutes of google: 1) legitimate online survey work makes only 1-50$ a month 2) affiliate marketing will never happen for this blog since I have no traffic 3) i should work on my website coding since this seems to be the most profitable endeavor. So basically...i'm going to work the full 8 hours every day now ;o)

Praveen/Kevin Preshoot

I was recently indirectly challenged by my girlfriend to portray some of my close friends in photos. This was the consequence of being incapable of describing them in words, since their personalities are so wild and unique. I decided to start this little mini project with my friend Praveen. Today, as kind of a mental preparation for the shoot, we scouted some ideal locations in Holmdel Park. Conceptually, we decided on two serious and two funny photos; two in traditional Indian garb, and the others true to Praveen psychotic, metrosexual flair. To make the day more interesting, Praveen will be taking photos of me also. I haven't yet decided on what kind of photos I want, but i'll update here when i've decided. We will probably use two light sources: the sunset as the backlight, and a strobe in a softbox as the main light. These are some of the locations we've decided on. I'm a sucker for reflections in lakes. Very careful attention was paid to the histogram in order to get the lake to come out properly exposed (in my opinion).

Oh and in case people were wondering how I upload the raws, this is my workflow:

I open the files on Lightroom 3, then change the Camera Calibration setting from Adobe Standard to Camera Standard. Then I resize my photos to 5% of the original (this is why the photos aren't really that sharp in full size) in order to save space on my gmail account, otherwise at 8 mb a pop, this blog wouldn't last many more posts :P

Orientation

For some odd reason, the official orientation for my internship happened a good 2.5 weeks after it had started. Though a long (though occasionally interesting) day full of team-leadership movies that were made in the 70s and powerpoints filled with conceptual 50 step plans, it was slightly sweetened by two things: tons of free stuff and I had brought my camera. My girlfriend had expressed some interest in buying a fancy expresso machine (the kind with pods) for her suite next semester. But the one they had at orientation would have, quite simply, blown her away. The only thing it seemed to be missing was some sort of biometric scan, since it was so technologically advance. Also, the coffee was quite fantastic. Anyways, I took a few snaps of my colleagues (which they hated :D ), and together we made it through the day. We got some sweet loot such as pens and backpacks and some notebooks. Shot in aperture priority, f/2.8, iso 800. Afterwards, I met up with my buddy Praveen and we started planning a serious shoot. Pre-photos coming soon.

NYC: Joe's Shanghai

Today, I walked around Chinatown to get a haircut and some food in my belly. Haircut was terrible, but the food (@JoesShanghai) was good as always. Got the crab steamed dumplings, eel, and turnip buns. Horrible translation...I know. Wanted to play around with the 20d and 15 f/2.8 fisheye lens in the city. I like the perspective of the fisheye ONCE IN A WHILE. I feel like it gets really stupid really quickly. All the shots were taken with the canon in aperture priorit except for the last one, which was taken with my d300s & 17-55 f/2.8, with wb set to the cloud.

astrophotography

I've always wanted to take a star trails photo but just never seemed to have the time. Until now. Now that i'm done with my test, i'm going to include in this blog a bunch of photos that I never had time to take before. Last night when I was coming back home, after a terrible thunderstorm, I saw the moon with a faint red cast to it. Perhaps it was due to the recent eclipse that was visible in Asia. I know that particles in the atmosphere refract some of the rays of sunlight, which I guess would scatter the green part of the spectrum more especially when the sun's rays hit the atmosphere at a low angle (like sunrise). And just like in sunrise when the sky seems a faint red, the net effect must result in that slight red moon I saw last night. Anyways, just some thoughts. Despite being exhausted, I took the 70-200 and mounted it on a tripod right by my window and snapped a few photos. 1/5s exposure, f/16, @ 200 mm. I cheated a little, since I know I state that I do not like to edit my photos and would not, but I did crop about 25% of the photo out for a better composition. C&C welcome!