Dog day afternoon

Oh no, it's blue today...!

Canon…stay true (Love me back or…)!

Talking cameras, a love/hate topic since I don't really like the whole technical aspect of photography at all.  I am and have been a Canon user for many years now. Lenses, flashes, camera bodies, printers, scanners...you name it. Two 5D bodies, one 1V (sold my backup 1N) 35mm film body, lens ranges from 15mm to 200mm (f2,8 lenses) and a complete Mamiya RZ Pro II medium format system with a 50mm and 90mm lenses. Back in the days, when I started I was learning the basics on an old Pentax my dad got as payment for fixing up a car for someone, he used it for years and years and I took it over after him. Then upped to Minolta 35mm (Alpha 7 and 9), and loved the 9 body with its superb grip and manual large setting knobs . I sold off my Minolta gear when they merged with Konica and stopped making "pro" stuff (they are now under the SONY flag). I choose Canon in front of Nikon due to it's ruggedness, handling and its more straight forward way of getting what I needed with the least fuckups. Never regretted this and always loved working with Canon gear. I carry a G9 "pocket" camera when the bulkier SLR's are just overkill. The G9 might not be what the G10 is but I've come to like this system and rely on it as a small but powerful backup/insurance.
I have almost stopped (almost…) looking for new gear the last couple of years due to what I have is just what I need. The occasional service and cleaning visit at Canon service center in Tokyo (superb safety net for someone like me who are shooting in far from ideal environments) is all. On the computer side I use Mac computers, same here, easy to use and they work!

However... Ran into this OLYMPUS E-P2 system the other day. And could tell from the brief encounter that this system "looks" pretty useful. Is there any one out there that have any feedback to give me on this camera? Changeable lenses, proper viewfinder, RAW setting, M/A/S modes, 12+ MP...worth checking out?








My e-mail address :


mwcpjapan@gmail.com

Sugar Kane

I know, pretty pointless…but I had a camera with me down to the beach this morning as well as last night. A tripod would have helped that moon/mood filled night. f2.8 and shutter speeds up to a couple of seconds has never given me sharp images and never will, but that is many times the beauty of it all, that feel of non perfection and new dimension. A german friend got a poster size hand held night image (sharp!) of the Giza in Egypt at 1/8th...!…I feel safe around 1/30th and up.

NRT-TPE-BKK

Transportation…from A to B via Z many times. I can't call this a trip, a trip involves experience the unknown, seeing how cultures and styles differs as you go. Life rolling on and the sun and wind shapes the mood of the daily routines. Sitting squeezed into cattle-class on a set of wings over the clouds has its charm but it's not travels in my book. Necessary movements to get ones ass in time at the right place…anywhere in the world. I liked however my fellow transit buddy's interior matching fleece hat and the fact that I was leaving a too cold Tokyo behind for a sunny and warm Thailand…

Sayonara Narita, mata 4649!

Feeding time

Above



Below

Taipei never looked more dull...

and then Thailand approaching underneath  …

                                                                                                           

…then a domestic flight down to Songkhla (it's never just a jump…never just "popping down to"…whatever…), driver picked up as scheduled and home (another one!), off with all clothes and just a gentle breeze through the room…confusing, yes…?   

SkyTree

They are building a new tower in Tokyo at the moment. Callled the sky tree and you will see it from everywhere in this megapolis that is Tokyo. Since I seldom come out from the underground I got a quick peek from a speeding train. This one will fall hard when the next big quake hit.

This, x3 from Sobu Line, as the sun was setting over the biggest city on the planet. Never stops to amaze me when I reflect on how I ended up calling this one of "home"...

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The treat

Chillin

 ...livin' the dream!

Tokyo

Back in the city I've called home since 1999. Spent the last year in Thailand working on another project so being back "home" feels a little weird to be honest. Things change, views and ideas reflects reality and to take it to the level where you can handle it without loosing too much is an act of dedicated balance. I know that you guys who know me and also you who doesn't but have checked out by blog for the last 4 years can see a change in things. I have more or less decided to commit 2011 as an non-proffessional photographer after 8 years in the business (I will abort this plan if National Geographic Magazine sends me on an assignment, anywhere/anytime). I will focus on photography on a higher level and the calculation adds up to the best by deleting "professional" before photography i.e. by not making money from it. Money and the shit it brings with it under its wings makes it an ugly thing and kills the beauty and grace needed to be airborne. I'm striving for the albatross thing here, not the bread crumb fed depending common pigeon a.k.a "Flying Rat".  
I will soon head back out again leaving this Island behind for a while, moving on, learning new stuff, seeing new things, still being too curious for my own good.

I had the supreme pleasure to hook up with my brother Carlos again as well as experience another uplifting practice gig with Tokyo's underground trash/death metal guys from OGRE. They got a new drummer so things are looking up again.