Archive for the Category ◊ Videoclips ◊

16 Mar 2010 The Little Camera(s) That Could

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Today was errand day at the House of Fielding — errands before and after work. Eastside. Downtown. Uptown. Downtown. Eastside. Westside back home. While riding the streetcars and subways I was experimenting with the cameraphone to see what it was capable of. As with any mobile phone, the best conditions are always bright and outdoors. I was rather pleased with the sharpness of the numbers in the photo above.

You might be wondering: why even bother taking photos with such crappy phone cameras? They look terrible! Because for me what makes a good photo is its composition, and that has nothing to do with equipment. Deciding what to put in that frame is not just an interpretation of electronics and glass but instinct. You can have the most expensive camera in the world, but if the content is uninteresting, a good lens and expensive sensor cannot rescue it. So I am constantly on the lookout for how life fits in frames in interesting ways — what goes in, what stays out, looking ahead for two objects to cross paths at the perfect time, hoping a gust of wind blows that bottle to exactly where I want it, photographing the dog waiting patiently outside the store, watching for the break in the cloud for the sun to peek through. It’s not just taking a photo, it’s how the Germans translate it — “making a photo”. (And probably lots of other languages I don’t know.)

Today was a first, of sorts: I shelled out $15 for a 2GB micro SD card to expand the memory in the phone. Up ’til now I have always been far too cheap to splash out on memory for mobile devices, but the videocamera feature on this one won’t work at ALL without a media card. Previously I’ve always just cleared out photos and text messages (I’ve collected some of the weird ones to show), but I capitulated this time to avoid the dreaded “Memory Full!” message.

Testing how it handles backlighting:

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I shot a short video on the streetcar before I had to disembark, and tonight when I converted the video from 3GP to mpeg (using Kigo Video Converter) then mpeg to mp4 (using Handbrake) — and that was after using Bluetooth to transfer the files from the phone to the computer! — the double-conversion somehow had the effect of speeding up the video (this is actual size):

It’s running at twice the original speed!

And finally, a photo taken not with the mobile but the 5-year old Canon A520, which you can buy from eBay these days for less than $10. Did you know there are manual settings on these digicams? It’s true — though limited, I set the aperture and shutter speed myself for this picture:

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It was a funny moment that brought me to that tree. I was taking photos of the sunset by a hospital with the phone’s camera, and a patient in a wheelchair watched me take photos of the trees. He was a little far away, so when he called out to me I thought he was checking to see whether I was taking a photo of him (and asking me not to). I indicated I was only shooting the trees. A couple of minutes later, he wheeled up and told me I would find a much better tree next to the building behind some other trees, about 50m away.

“You’ll like that one,” he said excitedly. “It’s very twisty and people like to take pictures of it.”

He was right! And it was then that I figured out he wasn’t shooing me away two minutes before, he was waving me over to the tree!

13 Mar 2010 Young Artists For Haiti – Wavin’ Flag

I have to say, even though I now fall in the ranks of the “older generation” and am not a fan of all these Canadian artists, I have nothing curmudgeonly or cynical to say about this remixed version of K’naan’s song. (Does it count if I say I’m glad Nickelback’s not in it?) I did find it mildly amusing that “Young Artists For Haiti” included a few older rockers and stuck them in the back — is that Tom Cochrane at 2:19/3:38 and Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo at 2:22?

In fact, as a song and as a video, I like it very much. I’ve watched it several times and grow to like it a little more each time. As well, there are images that really hit home, eg. the tiny child with the big eyes and wee smile at 3:56 tugged at my heartstrings at every video play. It is aimed to inspire a younger generation (and I believe it will), their voices sound great, and the message isn’t drowned out by “oversinging” like the kind you would find in a show like Idol. I also liked that they included at least a bit of French!

The version that’s on the CBC website is longer and includes part of an interview with K’naan and spokespeople for the three Canadian humanitarian charities which benefit from the sales of the song and video. Links are here:

Young Artists For Haiti (official site): http://www.youngartistsforhaiti.net/
(purchase the mp3 for C$1.29, video for C$2.29)
Young Artists For Haiti (Facebook site): http://www.facebook.com/youngartistsforhaiti

World Vision Canada: http://www.worldvision.ca/
Free the Children: http://www.freethechildren.com/
War Child: http://www.warchild.ca/

08 Mar 2010 March 27: Bone Marrow Drive
 |  Category: Haunted by Cancer, Linkage, Videoclips  | 4 Comments

Back in May 2008, I posted an appeal for people of Asian descent to sign up at local bone marrow registries on behalf of Carolyn Tam, who was fighting leukemia. Less than one year later, I sadly posted the news that Carolyn had passed away.

From the One Match website:

A person’s best chance of finding a matching donor is within his or her own ethnic group, it is important that the composition of OneMatch reflect Canada’s rich ethnic diversity. It is also important for the future of OneMatch to attract young donors.

The Asian population is not well-represented in the donor databases, creating a situation where it is difficult to find matches for Asians waiting to receive bone marrow transplants.

More than 20 Chinese patients in Canada are searching for a stem cell donor that can save their lives. People 17-50 years of age are needed to join OneMatch registry.

There is a National Chinese Stem Cell Drive taking place in Vancouver and Toronto on Saturday, March 27 from 11am-5pm. There are three locations in the Greater Toronto Area and one Greater Vancouver:

Markham: First Markham Place (Hwy 7/Woodbine)
Scarborough: Splendid China Mall (Kennedy Rd/Steeles Ave E.)
Toronto: Chinese Gospel Church (450 Dundas West/Spadina – Chinatown)
Richmond: Aberdeen Centre (No 3 Rd/Cambie Rd)

To find out more information, please visit www.chinesestemcell.ca or www.onematch.ca today! Registering as a stem cell donor is free.

06 Mar 2010 Tour de ‘Hood
 |  Category: Linkage, Music, Photography, Videoclips  | 3 Comments

Roncesvalles Village

At breakfast I discovered I needed to make a milk run and the brilliant sunshine convinced me to bring the camera and 50mm f/1.8 lens with me. I turned it into a looped photo-walk starting with a latte at the local cafe and ending with a trip to the grocery store. The thing about shooting in your own neighbourhood is that it tests your power of observation. I’ve lived here nearly three years, but I will be the first to admit that there is lots of exploring yet to do. Here’s what I shot, in no particular order:

alley

Sorauren Ave

there goes the neighbourhood

my local produce stand is awash in red today

Roncesvalles Village

Sorauren Ave

Roncesvalles Village

guarding the neighbourhood

a homeowner's method of keeping the birds away?

Roncesvalles Village

have a seat

Video for today: a film project video of “Neighborhood #2 (Laika)” by Montreal band Arcade Fire, acted by children. (Director: Jay Cheel) “Laika” is one of my favourite songs off the Funeral album.

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26 Feb 2010 Ode To Slovakia
 |  Category: Blah Blah Blah, Europe, Music, Videoclips  | 2 Comments

Bratislava

Slovak Parliament

hello Slovakia!

I very nearly lost a bet tonight, while the country held its breath for the entire third period of the mens hockey game when Team Canada dodged a bullet from Team Slovakia. At no time was I absolutely, 100% sure Canada would win, but I was fully prepared to live up to my promise of buying a Slovak hockey jersey and wearing it if Canada lost its game tonight. I would’ve even worn it in the office, where I’d never live down the scorn. As of Friday afternoon, I heard people in the office were on the phones booking flights to Vancouver and tickets from the internet for the gold medal game on Sunday — that’s how confident everyone was that Canada would win tonight.

I think in sport anything can happen and once in a while national pride from even a small country like Slovakia can surprise people. And it did!

I sent the message to Radovan several days ago after Slovakia beat Sweden, with every intention of ponying up the cash for a Slovak jersey if they beat the odds. If they did, Radovan probably wouldn’t be sipping the icewine I brought over from Toronto last June like he is in this picture, he’d be slugging it back like it was beer. In fact, making a trip back to Bratislava (which was part of my high-stakes bet) would probably land me in a big party in the streets.

Radovan in Vienna

No matter which country won, I’d be the least disappointed (non-Slovak) since I’m a Canadian who likes Slovakia and would love it if either team beat the USA. Ha!

As it stands, Slovakia made a valiant effort while Canada scared the living daylights out of everyone from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland by nearly blowing a 3-goal lead. As an ode to gutsy Slovakia, I dug back through my archives from last year and proffer a few more trip photos from Bratislava. I had a great 37th birthday there!

Bratislava

Bratislava

Bratislava

Bratislava

More Bratislava photos can be found here (the album is very far from complete!).

Video from today: a photo slideshow of Slovakia from YouTube

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25 Feb 2010 Toronto Art Expo: The Videos

It was a full evening of art at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Thursday night after work. I didn’t really have a clue what I was attending, since all I got was a text message from Natalia a few days ago which consisted of a jumble of words: “free tickets art exhibit Thursday” and that’s all it took for me to say yes.

The official website: http://www.torontoartexpo.com/

I’m still working through the photos, but here are the 30-second videoclips I shot of the Korean Salmunori dance and drum group Jeng Yi and the whirling dervishes from Turkey at the opening night of the Toronto Art Expo:

I spent most of the evening staked out in the front row so I could shoot the whirling dervishes up close. I only brought my 50mm f/1.8 lens with me, not the zoom, because I didn’t have a press pass and usually art events discourage photography. I didn’t want to attract attention to myself.

I also grabbed some brochures about Turkey from their table near the entrance. What helps me to plan trips is to use the tourist brochures as a guide for distances and timing between cities. There are lots of maps for orientation and the descriptions about each city are useful, too. And, of course, it’s all free!

21 Feb 2010 Winter Along The Lakeshore
 |  Category: Music, The Great Outdoors, Toronto, Videoclips  | 2 Comments

beautiful winter Sunday

Irish Famine Memorial

I had a great Saturday, volunteering during the day and spending the evening at a friend’s house, eating excellent food and enjoying everyone’s company. A fun evening that didn’t end until 3am! So when I woke up this morning and looked up at a skylight filled with blue sky, I knew the best way to top off this weekend would be to shoot outside. It was just a matter of deciding where to shoot.

I really miss living by the ocean (Vancouver’s Olympic news footage backdropped by the ocean and mountains is making me verklempt!), but living by Lake Ontario brings similar feelings of tranquility, as mass bodies of water tend to do. I’ve lived inland before — Winnipeg, Banff, Canberra, Scranton, to name a few places — but I always found myself drawn to the water’s edge.

Irish Famine Memorial

Last winter when I shot the Irish Famine Memorial it was cold and windy and probably 20 degrees lower. This afternoon it was mercifully sunny and without wind, but I was glad to have brought my glove-mittens, which I use to shoot because they keep my hands warm while leaving my fingers free to control the camera settings.

I started off in the park across the street from the main gate to the CNE, walking east along the municipal marina, by the ferry to City Centre Airport, continuing to the Irish Famine Memorial. There were plenty of joggers, but not many people strolling about. A few photographers, natch. The weather couldn’t be better!

Photos best viewed as a [slideshow], as [thumbnails], or in the Pictobrowser below:

Video for today: Roch Voisine performing “Helene” live in the ’80s. [official site] I had a crush on him growing up, along with thousands of other young Canadian girls. (See why.) Voisine is from New Brunswick, a bilingual singer-songwriter who is probably more famous in francophone Canada even though he has music in both English and French. I was listening to an interview with him on CBC earlier, and he’s currently doing a stint as an Olympic hockey sportscaster for a station in France! Apparently Voisine had his sights set on becoming a hockey player until an injury ended that dream. Even though he’s known as a musician, I suppose people in France consider him enough of an authority on hockey to be a commentator for them. There you go: diversify your skills and life will become much more interesting…

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18 Feb 2010 The World Is Kinder Than Headlines Will Lead You To Believe

Maplewood Farm, North Vancouver
Maplewood Farm, North Vancouver

I had high hopes for processing a lot more photos and writing out a few stories, but on Day 7 of the Olympics I got completely sucked into CTV’s live streaming coverage on the internet to watch the mens hockey game against Switzerland… then didn’t resurface until after the mens figure skating was finished. There goes Thursday night!

Last Monday afternoon while in Atlanta I ducked into a coffee shop called Danneman’s to warm up after shooting around the neighbourhood where Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up (Old 4th Ward). I sat down with a hot drink and pulled everything out of my bag to rearrange it for the rest of the walk home. Little did I know that my iPod Touch had fallen to the floor, something I would’ve noticed if I reached for it, but I make a point of putting it away for walking at night. I keep the iPod Touch housed in a rubber casing, which muffled the sound of the device hitting the ground. I was oblivious.

About an hour later, I was at the house downloading my thousand photos or so from a big day of shooting when an email arrived in my inbox with a ping!

I found your IPOD touch!

At first I was totally bewildered. Isn’t my iPod Touch in my bag?? Not according to the email:

Hey!
My name is Ryan.
I found your ipod touch at danneman’s coffee shop about 20 min ago.
call me… I’m downtown editing video right now at Georgia State University (I’m a student!)

[phone number]

-Yay!!!

PS I tried to call but you had a canadian # and my phone wouldn’t allow me to :(

I borrowed Halef’s phone to call Ryan, and thanked him profusely, adding that I was leaving the following day so I would meet him wherever he happened to be. I was fully prepared to take transit to the university, but then he said it would be easier for him to bike to me. Then I suggested the closest Marta station, and he suggested to meet back at the coffee shop. Then Michael offered to drive me to the coffee shop to save me a trek in the cold and dark. It was one act of kindness after another.

Thanks to the Atlantans, all of whom were complete strangers before I arrived, I was reunited with my iPod Touch which has travelled with me to Morocco, Spain, England, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovakia, around Canada and the USA… I shouldn’t get attached to an ageing piece of hardware, but it’s served me well since 2007 and I use it every single day. (Incidentally, it was also a gift from a friend — another act of kindness.)

I have other stories from Atlanta, too, conversations I had with random people on the street, people curious about my photographic interest in their city, smiling folk behind cash registers and happy bus drivers alike. I was struck by such widespread politeness and warmth from the people, I had to write about it.

When the US Homeland Security officer asked me at Pearson Airport last Friday the purpose of my visit to Atlanta, he burst out laughing when I exclaimed “FUN!” without hesitation. (Anytime I can make a US border official laugh is a momentous occasion, indeed. Especially when the security queues are as long as they are now, and everyone’s patience has worn thin.) He seemed genuinely surprised that I would fly to a city in the south where I knew no-one, on the basis that it was a points flight with no connections, and because it was Black History Month.

“It was a sign,” he said casually and without a trace of sarcasm or disbelief, ignoring the growing crowd of people behind me waiting for their turn.

I was enthused by his rather unofficial-sounding answer. “It really was!” Then he stamped my passport and sent me on my way.

Video for today: one of the more famous bands from Georgia — REM — are from Athens, and this is their 1991 classic “Shiny Happy People”

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15 Feb 2010 Kermit At The Georgia Aquarium

Kermit escaped the Georgia Aquarium!

Kermit is happy to report that he made it out alive from the largest aquarium in the world. My nephew, Michael, taped up his leg from a previous mishap but Kermit’s fine and well and culling the hundreds of photos shot at the aquarium down to a reasonable number. A preview for now, until we get the other photos online.

he snuck up on me!

penguin plunge

whale shark

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12 Feb 2010 Blakroc
 |  Category: Music, Videoclips  | Leave a Comment

I watched the Rolling Stone video podcast reviewing Blakroc (The Black Keys collaborating with hip hop artists) yesterday morning on the way to work, and knew I had to buy this album. I watched the podcast three times! Blakroc is blues rock mixed with hip hop, a combination I wish happened more often! I’m already a fan of Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. I haven’t been this excited about a hip hop album in a long time — if you’re into either genre (or both), it behooves you to check it out!