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  • The Arcade

    Arcade 1 buildDigging through some photos I thought had been lost with a computer changeover, several computers ago, I came across my arcade projects folders. All in all I have build 5 arcade machines to date. Two full standing, two bar top and one mini tabletop unit. Todays image, loosely based on an Aussie Lowboy, was my first. Built from the ground up with MDF, running a CRT and using Mame.

    For me arcade machines made up a big part of my younger years gaming. Home systems were nice, but never as advanced as the games at ones local corner dairy. 20 cents would get you a round of ‘The Main Event’, ‘WWF’, ‘Double Dragon’, ‘Golden Axe’…the list goes on. Of course then came ‘Street Fighter 2’ and all of its roll offs (then 40 cents). Generally a pile of recognisable guys, all battling it out on the arcades, arguing over secret moves, boasting high scores and ocassionally asking for ‘secondies’ (ones second life).

    Having ones own at home brings back such memories. The games are just as addictive as they once were, but certainly a step back graphics wise compared to todays units.

     

  • Dreaming and Waiting for Summer

    Dreaming of SummerShot on the Sony Nex with 210mm Lens & post processed in Photoshop CS5

     

  • Hopetoun Street

    Hopetoun St

     

    Hopetoun Street. The Street above the central city motorway.

    Shot on the Ricoh GRD, edited in Gimp.

  • Books Books Books

    books books booksSamsung Galaxy S2 & Vignette App

     

  • The Polarizer

    Filter no filterWith the poor weather of late, and a bit on my plate work wise, its been hard getting out to take many images. What I did work on however was a bit of a filter project for my Ricoh GRD. Ive written about the full control one can get using the great little Ricoh, but one limiter it, and 99% of all compact cameras has is the lack of a filter mount. One can buy an attachment tube where you can put filters on, but ultimately you end up with something the size of a small DSLR. Once that size, I’d just as soon use my Nex with a larger sensor.

    So, after hunting around and finding no retail option, I went about making my own converting ring. Buying a 25mm-46mm step up ring, I removed the 46mm thread and attached via foam tape the new adaptor to my GRD. Most of my filters are 49mm, so I got a 46-49mm adaptor and viola, a sub $10 filter adaptor on my compact camera – yet still compact ‘enough’

    As above, the weather has been poor when I have been free, but after a week of waiting, I set out determined to test the filter adaptor on the Ricoh. To see the obvious difference, and  something you simply cannot replicate in post editing, I attached my polarising filter – a great addition to ones camera filter kit (and one I should use more).

    As in todays image, you can see the difference a polarising filter makes on a camera – identical aperture and  exposure time – filter just rotated to reduce reflection and darken the sky.

    Images straight from camera (obviously two edited into one)