Category: 2010

Radiolab: 9-Volt Nirvana

Takeaways from Radiolab’s fascinating episode: 9-Volt Nirvana

The Radiolab podcast episode 9-Volt Nirvana grabbed my attention immediately:

“Learn a new language faster than ever! Leave doubt in the dust! Be a better sniper! Could you do all that and more with just a zap to the noggin? Maybe…”

Sign me up!

I pressed play, expecting an entertaining analysis of some new technology, drug or medical operation that could instantly make you think and do stuff better – like a get rich quick scheme for the brain.

The 25-minute episode did all that, and sparked a much deeper discussion, calling into question concepts of self, entitlement, ethics and the learning process.

I recommend you set aside about half an hour to listen to the show, and stew on it for a bit after it’s over. Then, read on to see how your reactions and takeaways compare to mine.

Continue reading Radiolab: 9-Volt Nirvana

How Twitter and Foursquare ruined breakfast and saved Christmas

One check-in shows the best and worst sides of location-based social media.

My Saturday couldn’t have started any better. I woke up on my own accord feeling refreshed, with the sun and a beautiful blue sky seeping through the window. No alarm. No appointments. No noise. My girlfriend woke up smiling too and after a few lazy moments of staring at the ceiling and rolling around in the covers, we agreed that breakfast at a coffee shop would be perfect and decided to head out to Luci’s Healthy Marketplace.

It might have been the easiest dining decision we’ve made together…ever. Furthermore, we got out of the house quickly without harshing the mood by getting wrapped up in chores, laptops or TV before we left. I thought I was still dreaming.

It was mildly busy when we arrived at Luci’s, with a short line leading up to the counter and scattered one- and two-top tables throughout the store. While waiting to order, I checked-in to Luci’s on Foursquare.*

After checking-in to Luci’s and tweeting out my location, I stepped forward in line to pick up our coffee and pay for our order. As usual, I didn’t think much of the check-in or the resulting Tweet (pictured below), but little did I know, my check-in was already rippling through the social media universe.

No more than a minute later, one of the servers, a middle-aged woman, started canvassing the restaurant shouting something that sounded like, “Adam Fuller!? Is there an Adam Fuller here?”

Continue reading How Twitter and Foursquare ruined breakfast and saved Christmas

Lunar eclipse of December, 2010

Time in the shade

This image is composed of six different photos I took of the December 21, 2010 lunar eclipse and stitched together in Photoshop. The progression is the first half of the eclipse, before the moon went into full obscurity behind Earth’s shadow. The shots, which span about an hour, are arranged in chronological order, starting from the 12:00 position and progressing clockwise.

I think this mosaic is cool, and am looking to make a clock out of it, but still, I was hoping for much more color and clarity from these photos. There’s a somber rush that I get from shooting the night sky and I couldn’t wait to capture the vibrant colors of this unique event.

Unfortunately, there were a few things working against me. Some could’ve been avoided, others not so much:

  • Heavy cloud cover over Phoenix skies (bleh)
  • Equipment: 50mm/f1.8 lens; 18-55/f5.6 lens; tripod (not much zoom there)
  • Location: my patio, surrounded by street, holiday, housing and city lights (not ideal for night shots)

For these photos, I set the camera on a tripod extended to it’s highest point. I played around with the aperture mostly and found that the larger stops created too-bright and too-blurry images, so I opted for the smaller stops. Most of the photos in this image I used about an f22 stop and kept the shutter speed set to about 1/4″ – 4″ to compensate.

This is my lunar eclipse photo. There are many more photos like it. But this one is mine.

8 tips to sharpen your family photos

I shot a few family portraits over Thanksgiving and learned something from each shoot. So, now that the dust has settled and the food has finally been digested, I wanted to share a few tips that can help anybody when taking pictures of family and friends…just in time for the holidays! But before we get started, here’s one of my favorite shots I took for my friends’ holiday cards.

The baby’s expression and turn to the camera really made this photo special.

Here are my tips and some of the lessons I learned:

Punk Rock Photography: ATM at the PV

Friday night, November 26, 2010, the day after Thanksgiving.
Dim lights on a low, cracked, white ceiling. A punk band from San Diego that just pulled up to the dingiest bar in Tempe, the Palo Verde Lounge: a legendary place that opens at 6am with $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons, well whiskey and other fine ailments. A lineup featuring The Poos, The Teets and headliners Ass To Mustache.

Best break out the wide angle.

I called on a 17-35mm / f2.8 rental from Tempe Camera along with my Speedlite 580 exii flash – and they delivered.

Continue reading Punk Rock Photography: ATM at the PV