Panopl(a)y

So iOS 6 added panorama photo capability to the iPhone’s built-in camera app back in 2012. I never played with it much: I shot a few disappointing panoramas in west texas, and more recently made a couple for a photobook I’m working on as a gift for my Mother in Law.

It was during that work that I accidentally left the camera on the pano setting, and again accidentally tripped the shutter while walking to the masjid for prayer. *Boom* Something fun to play with.

Here’s one I took from a moving car on the way home one day:

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This would be heading westbound on Rochelle from the intersection at Esters Road in Irving. Kasbah is on the left, then the library grounds, the library, and the water tower on the far right.

Note the broken middle section.

There is loads of fun to be had with this, especially when taking shots of things at various distances: start out with something near the close-focus setting of the AF engine, then pass by things at closer distances:

 

There is all sorts of fun to be had!

Continue reading “Panopl(a)y”

The Moon and my Wife

Two quick black & whites, converted from color with Filterstorm on the iPhone 5.

One was originally shot with the D7000 and I don’t remember which lens; the other with the iPhone’s built in camera app.

Which is which?

First, my darling wife, busily studying before bed:
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And now the moon (this one sorta looks like it could be a Gerhard Richter painting, an outtake from the October 18,1977 series):*

IMG_6512.JPG Continue reading “The Moon and my Wife”

Flashing Roses

I’m better when I experiment with tools & processes, I think. It’s more fun, anyway. I don’t necessarily make good pictures when I experiment (see below), but I have more fun. I do plenty of experimenting, sorta, but I don’t quite have the time I would like for it.

The (too brief) experiment here involved the Toshiba 312 flash, a gobo I made some time ago from some bit of packaging, two Cactus v5 triggers, and some roses and lilies we picked up for Eid.

About the flash itself, not much info is available: there are some pictures of the flash and its instructions; as of this writing there is some available on ebay;  apparently the 312 designation also applies to hearing aid-type batteries, a netbook, and a solid state hard drive. But no reviews or user experience discussions… maybe an opportunity?

This little flash is plenty powerful enough for the purpose to which it was put: handheld, mere inches from the subject, with a gobo thing I made from an empty cardboard something taped to the front. A larger discussion of the flash will have to wait (if it ever happens at all…). This post is about other things.

So here are a couple of pictures I made this week, of the aforementioned roses. Fair warning: I’m not particularly happy with either of them:

So I remember some time ago, back during the 365, I went out with this same lens (the Vivitar 70-200mm f/3.5 Series 1) and shot some neighborhood flowers with the pop-up flash. I may or may not have had this in mind when I pulled out the Toshiba 312 and the cactus triggers and went over to start flashing the roses.

What did come to mind was some training video I watched about cookies and flags and gobos (GOes Before Optics)some years ago. The photographer stuck plants and grid things and whatnot in between the flash and the subject, and I tried to do that with some of the leaves in the bouquet.

As a first try, this wasn’t bad, I guess. This shot has a little bit of some Jeff Koons paintings in it, mostly in that little bit of green stem poking out near bottom center, and a bit in the color:

It’s grown on me a tiny bit since I started this, but it looks like something I could’ve shot in 2012, as if my vision/technical ability haven’t developed much in the last two years.

And this other one is abysmal. Other than the off-camera light, there’s not much in here:

 

Maybe some of the color is interesting, maybe. At least there are some ideas to work with, maybe, and at least I can see the stagnation. Maybe this is the kick I need to start finding a way forward? Given the time I’m enjoying at work, I’ve been looking for other opportunities and ways to earn the rizq that Allah has ordained for me.

I considered microstock for about 12 minutes, but 1) I’m not sure I want to contribute to the cheapening of creative labor and 2) I don’t really shoot the subjects microstock requires in the way it requires. 1) is a problem, and is the reason I likely won’t extend my photography hobby into the stock world any time soon. 2) is an opportunity to learn some things, maybe.

So between experimentation and trying to learn how to shoot for specific purposes and writing the occasional in-depth review on some old piece of photographic equipment that never really made it to the internets, I think I have some things to keep me busy for awhile.

Alhamdulillah. Continue reading “Flashing Roses”

Udhiyah (part 4: dinnertime)

My wife is an amazing cook. MashaAllah.

After the skinning and gutting, I took four big pieces to a local halal butcher, where a nice young guy cleaned and butchered the animal.

The whole sacrifice, start to finish, took about 4 hours. Alhamdulillah, Allah made it easy for us. Thanks again to brother Suhaib, without whom I might still be standing around trying to figure out what to do.

I brought the meat home, and after going around to visit a few neighbors as part of Eid celebration, Hana and I packaged up the meat (1/3 for friends and family; 1/3 for the people in need; 1/3 to eat), and she prepared a lovely meal of fresh goat foreleg and rice. It was absolutely delicious.

So that was the whole udhiyah experience, from farm to table. May Allah azza wa jall accept our sacrifice. Continue reading “Udhiyah (part 4: dinnertime)”

Udhiyah (part 3: cleaning and gutting)

After selection, the goats and sheep were driven further out into the back part of the farm. Brothers collected their animals, marched them off some ways away, out of sight of the other animals, made the sacrifice, and then some seeming professionals stepped in and did the skinning and gutting for a small fee.

I stood with the little fellow for quite a while, making soothing sounds, proclaiming the greatness and oneness of Allah, and generally trying to comfort the goat. He relaxed quite a bit, and just stood with me, followed me around, and seemed quite at ease.

After a time, I led the goat over to a clearing, some brothers helped lay it on its side and gave me some instructions, and then I said “Bismillah. Allahu Akbar!” and with a quick slice it was done.

I didn’t shoot the actual sacrifice part. 1) I had my hands full; 2) I sorta forgot; 3) insofar as it’s an act of worship, maybe it’s best that I was just present there in the act, without the mediating effects of picture-making competing for my attention.

Sharp knives are key, and make short work of the actual act. And since the goal is to minimize any fear before or suffering during the actual sacrificing, short work is a must. In fact, Allah azza wa jall may not accept the sacrifice if the animal suffers too much or is frightened, and if the animal is too tense, the meat can get a bit tough.

With that done, I carried the corpse over to a place they had set up for cleaning and gutting, and watched while a couple of friendly fellows made quick work of the skinning and gutting.

Continue reading “Udhiyah (part 3: cleaning and gutting)”

Udhiyah (part 2: selection criteria)

Going into this, I hadn’t spent much time around goats since that one died in the backyard under rather mysterious circumstances back when I was a kid. So, as you might imagine, I didn’t know much about choosing a goat to sacrifice.

Islam has some rules about this: the animal must be of a certain age (goats must be a minimum of 1 year old) and in reasonably good health (blind, maimed, sick, or otherwise imperfect animals are unacceptable: we strive to give the best to Allah azza wa jall). But beyond that, it’s kind of an eenie meenie miney moe type affair for many first-timers.

I saw a couple of good looking specimens, but mentioned to Brother Ishaq (one of the organizers) that I didn’t know much about selection criteria, and a couple of minutes later he just handed me one.*

I don’t know much about goats, so if you do maybe have a look at him and let me know what you think.

In case you missed it, this is udhiyah week: yesterday we took a brief look at the farm, today we picked out a goat, and coming up soon we’ll sacrifice it (not pictured), skin & gut it, butcher it (not pictured) and cook some up.

Continue reading “Udhiyah (part 2: selection criteria)”

Udhiyah (part 1: the farm)

Today marks the last day of Eid al Adha, the second, and final, holiday in the Islamic calendar, marks the end of the Hajj (for those blessed enough to be able to attend and honors Abraham (alahi salam) and his willingness to sacrifice his son.

A major part of the celebration is the udhiyah (أضحية)—the sacrifice—and I’m interrupting the usual flow this week to share some parts of my experience.

Instead of our usual programming, this week we’ll briefly visit the farm (today), select a goat, sacrifice it (not pictured), skin (& butcher) it, cook it up, and eat it.

So here’s the farm:

I was surprised to find such a large plot of land in this particular part of Texas. It just seemed to go on forever, and much of my time there was spent deep in the wilds of the back part of the property.

This was a wildly interesting experience, and one that I’m still trying to process. Apologies for not having more to share with you today.

May Allah accept the udhiyah from me and all the Muslims throughout the world, Ameen. Continue reading “Udhiyah (part 1: the farm)”