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  • Swift in the West

    Piha Swift

    A quick archive shot for today. Work took me out of the office and down to Hamilton for my 12 hour day. Unfortunately, between doing what I was down there to do, and driving, I didn’t get the opportunity to take any shots. Hamilton has an excellent garden park, and I’m told a great Zoo, so I will need to head down for them again at some stage.

    Todays image, shot back in summer when I took a trip to Piha on the West Coast. I recall the clouds still being low in the sky as I looked back to the car park, and up into the ranges.

    Shot on the Sony Nex, converted to B&W in Gimp.

     

  • Keys to the House

    Keys to the house

    In what must be record time (for us), our internet issues have been resolved and we are back online again. One tick in the ‘to do list’ for our new home. Next on the list is re-seating and sealing our laundry tap. Things built up in the last week of packing, and my clothing is starting to whittle down in the selection pool.

    Todays image was the first I shot with the transfer of ownership and key’s collection. Using the GRD with high contrast B&W on Macro, I shot from the bench, towards the brick ‘theme wall’ in the lounge.

    High contrast B&W is a popular option for many Ricoh GRD fans. I have not used it a whole lot, but think I’ll give it a bit more of a go for a while. Being very contrasty and [digital] grainy, one can bump up the iso, if required, with little affect to the image.

    On the subject of Ricoh and it’s GRD range, I am excited to read the GR V is finally on its way – albeit not officially announced yet. Fitting a APS C sensor (like that used in the majority of DSLR’s) makes it an amazingly small package with a lot of promise for delivering amazing images, yet still fitting in your jeans pocket.

    I dont think I will be shifting up any time yet when it is released (If Ricoh sent me one I would happily use it!). My GRD IV is still as good as the day it was released, creates great images, handles well…and just does what was designed to do. Its all too easy to jump on the need, want, must have band wagon without really assessing if one genuinely does need. Back in the film camera days you might own the same camera for several decades. In our current Technology age, one year is sold to us as being a lifetime (hello Samsung and Apple). There is no argument the latest models are [usually] a step up, but whether its a required step up is another question. When my Sony 5N was replaced with the latest 5# and the improved Nex6, both models gained function, but lost battery life – image quality was essentially identical also. I love playing with new toys, but have also started to reflect a lot on how much the ‘consumerism and marketing god’ pulls at our wallet strings. Branded is a fun movie I caught a while ago which creatively plays with this idea.

    That will do for today. Its only Wednesday!

  • Welcome New Home

    HelloContinuing on from yesterdays image, our new home. Between unpacking boxes, trying to sort internet, tv, and finding things, also comes the ideas of what one can do in ones new home.

    The weather has just started to pack in a little as Winter slowly approaches, so garden work might be on the back burner for a while. I’m excited to now have a garage come workshop! – something I had growing up, but lost when I went flatting.

    As with yesterday, shot on the Galaxy S2 using Vignette and text added in CS5.

     

  • Farewell Old Place

    FarwellThe last week has been flat out for us, moving out of the old flat and moving into our new house. As was the issue a month or so ago, coming to the new home we are stuck without internet again…but now worries (for now) thanks to mobile technology!

    Moving out of the old place is both exciting and a little sad, but mainly exciting!

    Todays image, the old flat, shot on the Samsung Galaxy S2 and text added with CS5.

     

  • Urban Growth

    Urban GrowthAs with all big cities (or small cities), growth is something we see in a continual state of movement. Largely cities offer what people want and/or need – jobs, income, shops, society, action… (I’m sure the list will depend on each as an individual).

    Auckland currently, for its population, one of the most sprawled out cities in the world. With this comes issues – transportation being one of the larger ones. Our current Mayor, Len Brown, has put in place plans for an extended rail network and improved public transportations – all in an effort to reduce the peek hour traffic jams, and make Auckland a better place to live. I think the plans sound great.

    The next big argument between local and national government is what Auckland does in the future? – do we expand more, moving out into less developed land? Do we concentrate on more high population housing estates, more high-rise? Both come with their pros and cons, and likely a mix is the answer.

    For a city that holds 32% of the countries population (and growing), Auckland will always have a struggle with housing, transportation and all the infrastructure that surrounds it. For me, its still home.