H A N D C R A F T
On some occasions this film has some peculiar aging/color characteristics. This photo is only a week old and has taken on greenish-yellow cast.
Shot with PX 70 Color Shade from The Impossible Project, in Scott's Addition, Richmond.
On some occasions this film has some peculiar aging/color characteristics. This photo is only a week old and has taken on greenish-yellow cast.
Shot with PX 70 Color Shade from The Impossible Project, in Scott's Addition, Richmond.
pinhole clamera
Flickr user lost in pixels decided to make a pinhole camera from the shell of a freshwater mussel. Not much more to it than that, but the results are fascinating.
reinventing the gin and tonic
Grant Achatz working with Craig Schoettler on a re-imagined classic:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5PkO3kKAto?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1&w=640&h=385]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5PkO3kKAto?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1&w=640&h=385]
my dinner may have been better than yours
Oh, this was only PART of my dinner at Secco tonight.
This is the speck-wrapped hanger steak with charred local vegetables (field peas, I think, and carrots, squash, zucchini, and green beans), shaved summer truffles, and summer truffle sauce.
Uh-mazing.
Also, try the sea urchin dish. It'll rock your mouth's world.
fast broken
Morning meal, last Saturday at Can Can.
New EP from Sufjan Stevens
Mercy!
Sufjan Stevens has released a new EP called All Delighted People, and you can listen to the whole thing for free on Bandcamp (or at the bottom of this post)! From there you can buy the entire EP for five bucks, or you can wait until next week to digitally purchase it elsewhere. Or you can wait until later this year to snag a physical copy.
Just listen! So much majesty!
http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/album=670192006/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=000000/
Sufjan Stevens has released a new EP called All Delighted People, and you can listen to the whole thing for free on Bandcamp (or at the bottom of this post)! From there you can buy the entire EP for five bucks, or you can wait until next week to digitally purchase it elsewhere. Or you can wait until later this year to snag a physical copy.
Just listen! So much majesty!
http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/album=670192006/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=000000/
hot train in the city
Five Guys Burgers and...that's it.
I found it interesting that Five Guys recently won the ranking of "best fast food burger" in the US from Zagat.
I'm not upset about that, either. They're from Virginia, the patties are thin so they get a little crispy and extra brown, and the burger buns are pretty tasty, too. But it reminds me. The full name of the restaurant is Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and I know plenty of people in different parts of the country who also love their fries.
But I hate them.
They're always a little too soggy and way undersalted. I don't want a salt lick instead of french fries, but I do want my fries to have at least a few crystals of sodium chloride across their collective surface. What is it about these fries that you folks love so much? What am I missing?
I'm not upset about that, either. They're from Virginia, the patties are thin so they get a little crispy and extra brown, and the burger buns are pretty tasty, too. But it reminds me. The full name of the restaurant is Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and I know plenty of people in different parts of the country who also love their fries.
But I hate them.
They're always a little too soggy and way undersalted. I don't want a salt lick instead of french fries, but I do want my fries to have at least a few crystals of sodium chloride across their collective surface. What is it about these fries that you folks love so much? What am I missing?
beautiful distortion
On the few occasions that folks have asked me for photography help, I've had to explain what "ISO" means and how it works. It's kind of a tricky subject, especially since its meaning in digital photography is a little different than its origins in the world of film. What it comes down to, ultimately, is sensitivity.
ISO, in analog photography, refers to a standard for identifying how well film captures light. The higher the number, the more sensitive. Higher sensitivity comes with a trade-off, however; you get distortion. In film this comes in the form of larger crystalline structures on the resulting negative, or "grain." So pictures taken on film with a high light sensitivity look a little coarse and lose some of the fine detail. To many photographers the grain is only a slight trade-off since it can add depth and character to images. Different film stocks from different manufacturers have varying qualities under particular lighting conditions.
In digital photography, ISO refers to the camera sensor's responsiveness to light. When you crank up the ISO to a higher number you can capture more light. But you still have that trade-off; increasing the ISO on a digital camera creates visual distortion, or "noise." The best digital cameras, in my opinion, degrade gracefully at higher ISO settings. The noise looks less like static on a television and more like, well, film grain. I've seen it on certain Ricoh point-and-shoots, Leica's crazy high-end digitals, and even my iPhone 4 (when converted to black and white).
This graceful degradation reminded me, recently, of another artistic tool where distortion isn't all that bad: guitar amplifiers. A great deal of guitar amplifiers have a knob labeled "gain," and this is directly analogous to a digital camera's ISO setting. That's because it's increasing the equipment's sensitivity to the incoming signal (in this case the electrical sound signal from a guitar). If you turn up the gain too high you overload the amplifier and the sound output starts to break up, creating distortion.
Quite a few musicians enjoy their distortion, of course, but have varying tolerances for how easily it kicks in and how evenly it builds. Amplifiers that allow players to crank up the gain without distorting the sound can fetch a pretty penny. Nikon's D3s and Canon's 1D-MkIV, similarly, don't come cheap, because of their respective abilities to crank up the ISO setting with less noise than other cameras. Some amps, on the other hand, are desired specifically for their distortion characteristics, and famous makers such as Marshall, Fender, and Orange, are sought after because of their signature overdriven tones. Likewise, I might choose Kodak's Tri-X film over Ilford's Delta 400 because I prefer the look of one film's grain structure over another.
So maybe this will clear things up if you play electric guitar, I suppose. Or perhaps it will confuse you further. I just hope this makes ISO a little easier to understand for some folks.
ISO, in analog photography, refers to a standard for identifying how well film captures light. The higher the number, the more sensitive. Higher sensitivity comes with a trade-off, however; you get distortion. In film this comes in the form of larger crystalline structures on the resulting negative, or "grain." So pictures taken on film with a high light sensitivity look a little coarse and lose some of the fine detail. To many photographers the grain is only a slight trade-off since it can add depth and character to images. Different film stocks from different manufacturers have varying qualities under particular lighting conditions.
In digital photography, ISO refers to the camera sensor's responsiveness to light. When you crank up the ISO to a higher number you can capture more light. But you still have that trade-off; increasing the ISO on a digital camera creates visual distortion, or "noise." The best digital cameras, in my opinion, degrade gracefully at higher ISO settings. The noise looks less like static on a television and more like, well, film grain. I've seen it on certain Ricoh point-and-shoots, Leica's crazy high-end digitals, and even my iPhone 4 (when converted to black and white).
This graceful degradation reminded me, recently, of another artistic tool where distortion isn't all that bad: guitar amplifiers. A great deal of guitar amplifiers have a knob labeled "gain," and this is directly analogous to a digital camera's ISO setting. That's because it's increasing the equipment's sensitivity to the incoming signal (in this case the electrical sound signal from a guitar). If you turn up the gain too high you overload the amplifier and the sound output starts to break up, creating distortion.
Quite a few musicians enjoy their distortion, of course, but have varying tolerances for how easily it kicks in and how evenly it builds. Amplifiers that allow players to crank up the gain without distorting the sound can fetch a pretty penny. Nikon's D3s and Canon's 1D-MkIV, similarly, don't come cheap, because of their respective abilities to crank up the ISO setting with less noise than other cameras. Some amps, on the other hand, are desired specifically for their distortion characteristics, and famous makers such as Marshall, Fender, and Orange, are sought after because of their signature overdriven tones. Likewise, I might choose Kodak's Tri-X film over Ilford's Delta 400 because I prefer the look of one film's grain structure over another.
So maybe this will clear things up if you play electric guitar, I suppose. Or perhaps it will confuse you further. I just hope this makes ISO a little easier to understand for some folks.
solar bulb
wit and weiss-dom
At special request from my sister-in-law, here's a little touch of beer nerdery.
For the longest time I was pretty sure I wasn't a fan of wheat beer. All wheat beer. I know, that's like saying, "I only drink red wine," or "I only drive cars over emperor penguins," but so goes my irrational mind sometimes. The point is, having tasted a few wheat beers over the past decade, I had come to the conclusion that they all had an unrefined bite and little more than summer trend status here in the US. Silly lemon wedge. So when the warmer months rolled around I generally avoided the slim, straight-sided glasses of cloudy blonde libation and stuck to my cloying brown ales instead.
About two weeks ago, however, I sat down at the bar of one of my favorite watering holes and was offered (without asking) a taste of a new Belgian ale on tap. I still don't remember the name of it, but it do remember that it was a "Belgian white" and it was incredible. I've since tried (and quite enjoyed) a few others, and it led me to examine just what differentiates wheat beers from each other.
First off, almost every wheat beer on the market is an ale. That means it's fermented warm with ale yeast which often results in a fuller and sweeter (if only in aroma) brew. There are rare wheat lagers out there, and they're likely more crisp and light. Beyond that distinction, we have two major schools of wheat beer: the German "weissbier" or "weizen," and the Belgian "witbier."
Hefeweizen seems to be the big German player here in The States, and that's basically an unfiltered wheat beer made from at least 50% malted wheat (as opposed to all barley). It's usually quite carbonated to balance out the sweetness factor, and that may be what I don't like too much about it. But it sure seemed to be a gateway drug to Beer Land for my wife and sister-in-law, so it can't be all bad.
The Belgian witbier is often made with raw wheat (unmalted) and brewed with a spice/flavoring blend called "gruit" that is often made up of coriander, orange, and hops. This stuff is magical to my palate, and it's the style of beer that I photographed - and later consumed - in my post last week (Ommegang is the brewery, and the beer was incredible).
I wish I had some witbier right now, actually. It's hot and humid outside today, and it's well past 5 o'clock at this somewhere.
For the longest time I was pretty sure I wasn't a fan of wheat beer. All wheat beer. I know, that's like saying, "I only drink red wine," or "I only drive cars over emperor penguins," but so goes my irrational mind sometimes. The point is, having tasted a few wheat beers over the past decade, I had come to the conclusion that they all had an unrefined bite and little more than summer trend status here in the US. Silly lemon wedge. So when the warmer months rolled around I generally avoided the slim, straight-sided glasses of cloudy blonde libation and stuck to my cloying brown ales instead.
About two weeks ago, however, I sat down at the bar of one of my favorite watering holes and was offered (without asking) a taste of a new Belgian ale on tap. I still don't remember the name of it, but it do remember that it was a "Belgian white" and it was incredible. I've since tried (and quite enjoyed) a few others, and it led me to examine just what differentiates wheat beers from each other.
First off, almost every wheat beer on the market is an ale. That means it's fermented warm with ale yeast which often results in a fuller and sweeter (if only in aroma) brew. There are rare wheat lagers out there, and they're likely more crisp and light. Beyond that distinction, we have two major schools of wheat beer: the German "weissbier" or "weizen," and the Belgian "witbier."
Hefeweizen seems to be the big German player here in The States, and that's basically an unfiltered wheat beer made from at least 50% malted wheat (as opposed to all barley). It's usually quite carbonated to balance out the sweetness factor, and that may be what I don't like too much about it. But it sure seemed to be a gateway drug to Beer Land for my wife and sister-in-law, so it can't be all bad.
The Belgian witbier is often made with raw wheat (unmalted) and brewed with a spice/flavoring blend called "gruit" that is often made up of coriander, orange, and hops. This stuff is magical to my palate, and it's the style of beer that I photographed - and later consumed - in my post last week (Ommegang is the brewery, and the beer was incredible).
I wish I had some witbier right now, actually. It's hot and humid outside today, and it's well past 5 o'clock at this somewhere.
in this temple
At 28 years of age and having lived within 2 hours of our nation's capital for over 10 years, I have only just visited the Lincoln Memorial for the first time this past weekend. It was rather glorious.
mast brothers chocolate
Handcraft. Chocolate. Beards. There's not really a lot left to say about why I love this 8-minute video (via Devour):
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13664547&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=0&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13664547&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=0&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0
The Mast Brothers from The Scout on Vimeo.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
So I just got home from watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World with Valerie. Two things must be said before anything else:
1. My wife is a trooper and sweetheart for actually wanting to see a comic book movie with me, especially one steeped in video game and indie rock nerdery.
2. Regardless of my feelings about this movie, you should go see it. It's a cinematic achievement for the visuals alone - not because it's broken new ground in special effects technology, but because it's extraordinarily creative in the translation of the books to the screen. While there are many direct visual quotations of certain panels, there are plenty of cleverly designed extras and embellishments along the way that help merge the worlds of fantasy and reality.
But what did I think? Well I loved it...mostly.
Besides the joy of seeing a beloved piece of visual literature on screen, I appreciated many of the acting choices, the directing glory of Edgar Wright, and the sound track. Seriously, there was some tasty and grungy-dirty rock in this movie. The pace was exhilarating without feeling rushed. The references to video games (both visible and audible) activated my nostalgia gland. There were movie and television tropes galore used simultaneously as parody and loving homage.
So why the "mostly"? Well it has to do with some of what didn't make it from the books to the screenplay. And no, I'm not hemming and hawing about picky details that I would have loved to see (THE EXISTENTIAL HORROR THAT IS HONEST ED'S, for example). This movie was nearly two-hours and it flew by. So it wasn't simply that anything was missing; important character-development elements were missing. Some missing details made a few relationships and decisions hard to believe in the movie. And there were crucial bits left out that relate to Scott's maturity and reconciliation with his own bad behavior. So while don't mind that it wasn't a 6-hour canon-fest, some of the emotional weight that makes you care about Scott, Ramona, et al. just wasn't there.
I wonder, to some extent, whether this problem comes from the film developing simultaneously with some of the later volumes of the book. I can only speculate.
Ultimately I enjoyed this movie, though. I'll likely see it again, and I'm quite likely to buy the movie when it comes out. It lived up to 99% of the hype in my mind, but that missing 1% means a lot to me.
4/5
1. My wife is a trooper and sweetheart for actually wanting to see a comic book movie with me, especially one steeped in video game and indie rock nerdery.
2. Regardless of my feelings about this movie, you should go see it. It's a cinematic achievement for the visuals alone - not because it's broken new ground in special effects technology, but because it's extraordinarily creative in the translation of the books to the screen. While there are many direct visual quotations of certain panels, there are plenty of cleverly designed extras and embellishments along the way that help merge the worlds of fantasy and reality.
But what did I think? Well I loved it...mostly.
Besides the joy of seeing a beloved piece of visual literature on screen, I appreciated many of the acting choices, the directing glory of Edgar Wright, and the sound track. Seriously, there was some tasty and grungy-dirty rock in this movie. The pace was exhilarating without feeling rushed. The references to video games (both visible and audible) activated my nostalgia gland. There were movie and television tropes galore used simultaneously as parody and loving homage.
So why the "mostly"? Well it has to do with some of what didn't make it from the books to the screenplay. And no, I'm not hemming and hawing about picky details that I would have loved to see (THE EXISTENTIAL HORROR THAT IS HONEST ED'S, for example). This movie was nearly two-hours and it flew by. So it wasn't simply that anything was missing; important character-development elements were missing. Some missing details made a few relationships and decisions hard to believe in the movie. And there were crucial bits left out that relate to Scott's maturity and reconciliation with his own bad behavior. So while don't mind that it wasn't a 6-hour canon-fest, some of the emotional weight that makes you care about Scott, Ramona, et al. just wasn't there.
I wonder, to some extent, whether this problem comes from the film developing simultaneously with some of the later volumes of the book. I can only speculate.
Ultimately I enjoyed this movie, though. I'll likely see it again, and I'm quite likely to buy the movie when it comes out. It lived up to 99% of the hype in my mind, but that missing 1% means a lot to me.
4/5
Scott Pilgrim vs. The Animation
Here's a totally sweet animated short created by Adult Swim that covers a portion of the Scott Pilgrim series not included in the movie. It's great prep on opening night!
http://i.adultswim.com/adultswim/video2/tools/swf/viralplayer.swf
http://i.adultswim.com/adultswim/video2/tools/swf/viralplayer.swf
cheers
move merchants
Oh my goodness, check out this super hot promo video for Move Merchants - a disc from Deepspace5 emcee Manchild and DJ Sean P. So hot right now:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpgXTgCKjnM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=640&h=385]
(via my buddy Patrick)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpgXTgCKjnM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=640&h=385]
(via my buddy Patrick)
black and white and Rome all over
As much as I love to cook, the main reason I've been such a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain is his writing. I've never eaten food prepared by the guy, but I've consumed his words on many occasions, and they're almost always fantastic. I'm also a huge fan of his show No Reservations on the Travel Channel. Here my love for food and travel mixes with my love of good film making as his crew has continued to push the boundaries of documentary television production.
With the love of his writing and No Reservations in mind, Mr. Bourdain's post today about the upcoming Rome episode is outstanding. The episode could end up being a flop, but reading about it was entertainment on its own. The care for detail, nerdy film references, the willingness to take risks even while riding high in critical acclaim, all rendered expertly in words that were a joy to read.
But I have a feeling the episode won't be a flop. I'm quite looking forward to it.
With the love of his writing and No Reservations in mind, Mr. Bourdain's post today about the upcoming Rome episode is outstanding. The episode could end up being a flop, but reading about it was entertainment on its own. The care for detail, nerdy film references, the willingness to take risks even while riding high in critical acclaim, all rendered expertly in words that were a joy to read.
But I have a feeling the episode won't be a flop. I'm quite looking forward to it.
(color) pencil pusher
Check out these nifty Pantone colored pencils. Perhaps you can use a favorite Pantone coffee mug as a pencil cup?
(via Curated)
(via Curated)
sound prism
If I had an iPad, I'd get Sound Prism as soon as it clears the App Store:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385CymvTecU?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=640&h=385]
(via Jason Fried)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385CymvTecU?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=640&h=385]
(via Jason Fried)
the slings and arrows of outrageous loafing
The Swell Season plays "Two-Headed Boy"
Be patient with the commercial at the beginning of this video; the song is absolutely worth it. As one of the later entries for The A.V. Club's Undercover series, The Swell Season covers Neutral Milk's "Two-Headed Boy." Absolutely delightful.
bottled
These two old glass bottles were found underneath my house. The bottle on the left is mid-century Clorox bleach bottle, and the other is an after shave bottle presumably from the same era.
one year down
Ah, the sweet relief of finishing.
Last night was my last class meeting for the summer session of my MBA program. I was fortunate enough to be exempt from the final exam, so for the next two weeks I have no classes to attend and plenty of time to shoot some pictures before the fall semester starts up. I still have to work, but a scaled back daily schedule that doesn't include homework will be quite nice. So that's a full year under my belt, and a bit less than two remaining. May 2012 is the target, and it's near-tangibly closer.
On a related note, I spoke with the business IT professor last night about her potentially sponsoring an independent study I have in mind. I'm hoping to do some research into IT companies that have achieved stability and financial success without the use of venture funding, inspired largely by the "Bootstrapped, Profitable, & Proud" series from 37signals (yeah, I did just recently mention that - but this has been simmering in my mind for a few months). If I can put together a solid proposal (and the professor seemed mostly convinced already), I'll be able to take - for credit - what amounts to a customized course that supports my desired career path. Sweet!
Last night was my last class meeting for the summer session of my MBA program. I was fortunate enough to be exempt from the final exam, so for the next two weeks I have no classes to attend and plenty of time to shoot some pictures before the fall semester starts up. I still have to work, but a scaled back daily schedule that doesn't include homework will be quite nice. So that's a full year under my belt, and a bit less than two remaining. May 2012 is the target, and it's near-tangibly closer.
On a related note, I spoke with the business IT professor last night about her potentially sponsoring an independent study I have in mind. I'm hoping to do some research into IT companies that have achieved stability and financial success without the use of venture funding, inspired largely by the "Bootstrapped, Profitable, & Proud" series from 37signals (yeah, I did just recently mention that - but this has been simmering in my mind for a few months). If I can put together a solid proposal (and the professor seemed mostly convinced already), I'll be able to take - for credit - what amounts to a customized course that supports my desired career path. Sweet!
poison
