Adventures With My 350XT

Twinkle Twinkle - Day 230/365 Year 2

2008-12-28T22:32:00.001-08:00

Twinkle Twinkle - Day 230/365 Year 2
Originally uploaded by nkpix

Testing video capabilities.

Jack - Test Video

2008-04-23T17:36:00.001-07:00

Jack - Test Video
Originally uploaded by noeltykay

Just a test to see how blogging video works with flickr.

Photowalking in Santa Monica

2007-08-09T07:37:00.001-07:00

Santa Monica Spectacle, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Early last month I saw that Thomas Hawk had posted an entry on the Zooomr blog regarding Photowalking in Santa Monica. Thomas had even used one of my images of the pier on his blog entry. To say the least I was flattered, and I just had to participate in this event..

Normally when I have the time to go shooting I am by myself. I love taking a few hours and walking around an area and capturing images. Santa Monica by the water is a favorite place for me to walk...as is shooting LA nightscapes. I always wanted to go shooting with others...I liken shooting photos alone as to playing a round of golf by myself or surfing on an empty beach. Make a great shot on the golf course alone, or catch a killer wave with no one around...you are simply not sharing the excitement with others in the moment. Surely you walk away from shooting with those images which you captured...and the great ones can be shard with anybody...but...it is not the same as sharing the moment.

So Saturday at 4PM I met a group of people including Thomas Hawk and coordinated by Trevor Carpenter in front of the Apple Store in Santa Monica. As soon as the majority of folks showed up Thomas put me at the wheel to navigate where we should go considering this is my neighborhood. We strolled from Wilshire and 3rd Street to Broadway and Third with a walk in the park on Ocean Avenue. From there we ventured down to the bike path and walked along catching Rollerbladers, cyclists and skateboarders...

At about 6:30 or so we congregated ont he pier for a quick bite to eat before heading on the sand to capture the sunset. My hope was that we had a Sunset so that everyone who participated could capture the background colors of the sky set against the man made beauty of the pier as seen here in a picture taken last October...

Unfortunately mother nature was uncooperative with the fog coverage, however, I did check the lunar and tide schedules in the paper earlier int he day...we were scheduled for a sunset at 7:52PM and low tide was at 9:02PM. If we weren't going to get a sunset opportunity at least we would be able to take advantage of the low tide which enable you to capture the brilliant colors of the pier reflecting off the water...it is truly magical!

I honestly think the low tide was a bigger hit than a gorgeous sunset had we had a sunset. People were encouraged to get in the water with their tripod and most did. It was an awesome sight to see...finally I was sharing something I LOVE to do with others that have the same passion for photography as I!!! Where or when am I going to be hanging out in 70 to 75 degree weather with perfect water temperature with a great group off people taking pictures long after the sun goes down?

It was truly a great experience and I look forward to the next Photowalking opportunity! I am hoping to make Alameda if time permits.

If you would like to see more of the images captured by the Santa Monica photowalking group...

Click here for the Zooomr link

or click here for the flickr link

The things we take for granted - Day 117/365

2007-07-19T23:34:00.001-07:00

The things we take for granted - Day 117/365, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It has been a while since I blogged. Much has happened over the past several months. My son Jack is growing like a weed...you can track his progress over on flickr in my Project 365 Jack set. I also recently took my little side photography business to the net...you can check out my website here. I am starting to shoot people and events more and more and I feel I am improving with each job...having fun with it too...well, I gotta run, but I promise to post more frequently!

Cousins

2007-04-21T15:55:00.001-07:00

Cousins, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It was only yesterday that my sisters first child Brandon was born...I was there, and have been there every step of the way. Madison came a few years later and has been my favorite photography subject since. Now Jack is here...he's ours and to see him with his cousins is one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed. I can't wait to capture more magic moments between them and there two other cousins Jaclyn and Ryan.

Hooray for beer!!!

2007-03-31T06:54:00.001-07:00

hooray for beer - Day 14 (1 of 2), originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Man do I love my son...he is so darn cute!!! My perspective in photography has completely changed over the last three weeks. Prior to his birth it was not uncommon for me to tell my wife that I was going out for an hour or two to shoot...whether it was my favorite subject, The Santa Monica Pier, or a late night walk in Downtown Los Angeles I just liked to get out and shoot different things. Well, with a newborn I have been finding my self shooting my little man every chance I get. As a matter of fact I have made it into a daily ritual and joined the flickr group Project 365 Kids.

This is a group where people have made it a project to take a photo each day of their child and post it to the group...I thought this was a neat idea and began Jack's project eight days after he was born...I could have backtracked and used photos from the first eight days, but decided to just start from day eight forward.

The good thing about this project is that shooting an infant, although he is cute, could become stale fast. Sure there are great moment to capture especially when his mom is giving him kisses after a bath...or he has some cute look on his face (constantly!!!). Taking pictures of him every day has ignited a bit of creativity and hopefully I can keep it going...

To keep up with my project, and Jack's growth you can visit my Project 365 flickr set.

Moon gazing pigeons

2007-03-29T20:09:00.001-07:00

Moon gazing pigeons, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

The wife and I took our (almost three weeks old) son for a walk this early evening...of course camera was in tow! I captured this shot which is similar to a shot I captured over a year ago....

18 Days and Counting

2007-03-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

Tiny Dreams - 11/365, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Jack is 18 days old and sleeping like a champ. Eat, sleep and poop...just like his dad :) I am loving the new Canon 24-105 L...I am getting much sharper pictures and the colors are more vibrant than my trusty old 28-135.

Crash

2007-03-22T04:23:00.001-07:00

Crash, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well...it was bond to happen...either lose or damage some expensive camera equipment. Being the over zealous new father that I am the latter had happened yesterday.

I had my tripod setup so that the front two legs were fully retracted and positioned on our bed, and the rear leg was fully extended. I was setup so that I was over my sleeping wife and son. It was a beautiful scene, and damnit I was certain I would capture it for prosperity...when all of a sudden the phone rang. My wife got very little sleep the night before and I did not want to wake her so I bolted for the ringing phone...about three steps into it my wife moved and the tripod fell over damaging my lens and Opteka Battery Grip.

The grip looks as though I can fix it myself with an eyeglass screwdriver and some hope...the lens...well at least I straightened out the barrel but it will not retract below 70mm and it should go down to 28mm.

Oh well...expensive lesson learned :(

Happy Feet

2007-03-18T08:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Feet - Day 1/365, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well...he is here! He has been here since 1:05 PM March 10th, 2007. He is absolutley fantastic!!! I think we will keep him ;)

After taking sunset pictures and having dinner on Friday (3/9) my wife and I were at the hospital at 12AM only to be sent home by 1:45AM. Well we were back by 3:45AM to stay and it wasn't until 1:05PM that little Jack finally made his grand entrance. He weighed 7lbs 11oz and was 20 inches long.

Life has become so much greater in the past week...more photos to come! Stay tuned.

Life as we know it is about to change...

2007-03-10T02:00:00.001-08:00

D @ 9 mos., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

This evening me and my wife decided to finally get out and take some pregnancy shots now that she is nine months pregnant and due in a week. Well...she started having contractions and my guess is the next time I post an entry it will be of our newborn child :)

One Year!!!!

2007-03-06T06:43:00.001-08:00

That's hot, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Yes...this past Saturday marks one year that I have started my photo blog! A lot of things have happened over the past year, but two things take a front seat to everything else. One, my wife is pregnant and due within a week!!! We still don;t know the sex but the wait is almost over...YAY!!!! We also have a new nephew named Justin who was born Super Bowl Sunday...we have only seen pictures and can't wait until we are able to travel to NY (with his cousin) to meet him.

The photo pictured is from a walk my wife and I took Saturday night on Main Street in Culver City, California. There was a full moon passing over the hotel and I thought that it looked "HOT".

Over the Hill.

2007-02-19T17:13:00.001-08:00

Over the Hill., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

For a long time I wanted to take a photo from the overpass at Mullholland overlooking the 405 going north towards the 101. About five or six months ago I had seen the exact shot I visualized on the front page of the LA times...except if I recall correctly the exposure wah much shorter than what I had in mind.

Last night I took a drive to the very spot and took a 2 second exposure...it is amazing the amoung of traffic that continuosly passes under this over pass, 24 hours each and every day.

My baby mama

2007-02-17T12:12:00.001-08:00

My baby mama, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

A freind of my wife asked her if she would like to help her out by being her model for some pregnancvy fitness photos. Her friend is an author and the owner of Expecting Fitness. My wife agreed and naturally I asked who was doing hte shoot....well her friend was....I asked if I could do it for her...she agreed and I took 150 unbelievable photos....sure, I am a bit biased...but my wife, who is eight months pregnant, look absolutley AMAZING! So, I am sure anyone would have captured solid images like the ones I got...they really are AMAZING!!!

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

2007-02-13T05:45:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It's not every day you get the opportunity to get up close and personal photogrpahing the Mayor of Los Angeles. Last Saturday a good friend put together a symposium on the homeless epidemic in Los Angeles. The even featured ten organizations from around the city that cater to the homeless community. The Giving Spirit is one of the organizations featured and I am a board member. The folks that planned the event, called me on Friday and asked if I would be willing to take pictures. They said I would have access to the stage and would be able to take as many pictures as I wanted as the Mayor was speaking...heh...I took almost 400.

Sunset run

2007-02-11T10:58:00.001-08:00

Sunset run, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

This morning I was trnasferring almost 4GB's of RAW files I shot yesterday to an external hard drive. I decided to clean up a few folders and creat more space when I came across this photo of a runner running at sunset along the beach during low tide at the Santa Monica Pier. I love this shot...wish I could have captured the full reflection of the runner...but if I did...I might have not captured the full reflection of the pier.

Early morning balloon ride

2007-01-31T16:20:00.001-08:00

Early morning balloon ride, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

So last weekend the wife surprised me witha trip to Park City...actually on Sunday the 21st she had given me a card with this picture inside. I took that picutre last May in Park City Utah. My wife had been telling me she was going to take me on a surprise weekend to an unknown destination...well it was Park City Utah and she wanted me to spend the weekend taking photos...unfortunatley I did not take too many photos, but I did catch these balloons taking off in the early morning. Funny thing is I was driving 65MPH on the freeway when I took it! Always be prepared!

L.A. Icons

2007-01-19T01:40:00.001-08:00

L.A. Icons, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Tonight I shot something I have long planned but never accomplished. I have wanted to shoot the Hotel Angeleno for quite some time. Set just beyond the 405 freeway with the Getty Museum tucked away just above it, I figured it was a prime nightscape. Well tonight on my way home from a friends poker game I decided to brave the 50 degree weather and capture the shots I had envisioned. I am happy with the way they turned out!

White Balance

2007-01-12T15:38:00.001-08:00

White Balance, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I almost always shoot RAW...but last night before I started using my camera I had a couple of glasses of wine and did not notice my camera was set to a mode which only allows JPG. Even though one has less control over the white balance in JPG vs. RAW the white ballance can be easily corrected.

If you do not own Scott Kelby's "Photoshop CS2 for Digital Photographers" stop reading this and go out and purchase the book. It took me less than five mintues to correct this photo...you can see the yellow cast from the incandecent light in the inset picture...easily corrected!

Sunset landing

2007-01-08T06:46:00.001-08:00

Sunset landing, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...and for me it kicks me in the butt to go out and take photos of things I normally wouldn't had my wife been around. Tonight I will pick her up from LAX at 7PM...we have been apart since December 28th when I left New York. This is the longest we have ever been apart and I miss her!

So Saturday afternoon I was bored and decided to go out and shoot after taking care of some errands. By the time I got finished doing all the things on my list it was already 3:30...too late to go to Downtown LA for some random shots. I had heard about people taking pictures of incoming planes from the parking lot of In N' Out Burger and decided to check it out.

I got there around 4PM about an hour before sunset and snapped some shots of incoming planes...man what a rush when the planes are about 30 - 40 feet over your head!!! There were several photographers there...enev one guy who says he is there several times a week. It is really a neat place to visit if you have never been.

The best time to go is about 20 minutes before sunset...the sunsets are spectacular and they create a specatcular backdrop as you can see in the photo above.

Tonight I hope I can leave work in time to catch another sunset at LAX. After that I will have a Double Double with cheese and then pickup my wife who will be on one of those incoming planes.

I can't wait to see her!

The most beautiful cat...Ziggy

2007-01-06T10:17:00.001-08:00

The most beautiful cat...Ziggy, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last night I played in my regular poker game...the best thing I walked away with last night was this picture of the hosts cat Ziggy. Sometimes even when you lose...you win.

Sunset for two

2007-01-03T21:21:00.001-08:00

Sunset for two, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well...while the wife remains back east until Monday it has given me the opportunity to get out and shoot. Today after work I decided to go to the beach and capture the sunset. Boy am I glad I did!!! The sunset was spectacular this evening and I managed to cpature a whole bunch of great shots inluding this silouhette....

I shot a bunch more fantastic shots but I have yet to process them. In the meantime here is one from last nights excursion downtown...

The Giving Spirit

2006-12-19T23:45:00.000-08:00

4 Over Inc., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

In the season of giving I participate in an annual event for a non-profit organization called The Giving Spirit. I am one of six board members and together with over 300 volunteers and countless donors we raised over $90,000 this year to help those less fortunate in the city of Los Angeles. We build 1,250 survival kits and distributed them from Skid Row to Santa Monica to the Valley.

Pictured is Tom Bagamane our founder accepting a check for $1,000 from 4 Over Inc. one of our corporate donors who also had many of their employees volunteer.

It was a great weekend as it has been over my past six years...I look forward to many more years of giving back.

Ynez

2006-11-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Ynez, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

This shot was taken last May with my wifes Canon SD450 point and shoot while we were visiting Park City Utah to attend a wedding of some close friends. This is our friends daughter Ynez picking a dandelion while passing time at the rehearsal dinner. I just found this picture on my hard drive...six month later.

Junior

2006-11-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Junior, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It has been a very busy few weeks! I have not had time to do as much "free" shooting as I would like. The good news is that I have been hired to photograph some frineds children for this years holiday cards, as well as an old colleague and her pets...I also took pictures of some dogs for a pet product website and a national pet magazine....details to follow.

The photo of the Sharpei is one of the dogs featured...his name is Junior and he is nine years old...gorgeous dog!

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

Scream, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Magic Moments

2006-10-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

Brother and sister..., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I spent Saturday afternoon with my sister and brother-in-law waitng the entire afternoon to take shots of my niece and nephew for the family holiday card. My BIL took good care of me by providing a fine europen wheat beer.

Before taking the real pictures, I captured this moment...a favorite!!!

Bridge over PCH

2006-10-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

Bridge over PCH, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last Thursday evening the weather was absolutely amazing here in Los Angeles. I grabbed the camera around 7:30 and proceeded on a 4 hour photo walk through Santa Monica. I did not snap a ton of pictures...but the night scenes I captured I am very happy with. I plan to take some similar shots when the sun is going down to capture the same scenes with different lighting elements...until then enjoy these long exposure shots...

Another gorgeous evening

2006-10-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Pier reflection at dusk, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Tonight I was able to get down to my favorite spot and take some sunset photos in Santa Monica...I must have taken 200 shots. I think my favorite has to be this one with the pier reflecting off the water. It was a little scary setting my tripod in the shallow (calm) water and getting my pants wet and sandy...well worth it, but scary with a new DSLR about a foot and a half away from a watery death. Thankfully camera and I are fine...a few more for now...

Feline reflections

2006-10-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Feline reflections, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well...I did not get out and shoot as much as I had anticipated. I did manage to stop by a friends house this afternoon and I have always wanted to take pictures of his two gorgeous cats...fantastic light in his house, gorgeous cats and my new camera and 85mm made for some fantastic shots!

My new best friend...

2006-10-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

We are going to be getting along perfectly., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I recieved my 85mm 1.8 lens yesterday from B&H via UPS. I had a little scare when the UPS driver handed me the package with a concerend look on his face:

I expected the worst but was pleasantly surpirised. B&H did a wonderful job preparing the lens for UPS "White Glove Delivery Service". The lens was perfect and I am very pleased with the quality of images I get from this lens...I can't wait to use it more today!

Nothing like a free upgrade!

2006-10-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

I *heart* poker!, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My new camera is here!!! It arrived a couple of days ago and I sure am glad I decided to upgrade! With the sale of my beloved Rebel XT and my 50mm, a $120 Amazon credit, $240 Canon rebate and $50 cash back from Discover card it was too hard to pass up a $240 out of pocket upgrade. $240 out of pocket until last night when I won $1,000 playing poker!!!!

Heh...I haven't had anytime to really shoot...and I have been busy reading the manual so look for more pictures coming soon...perhaps this weekend when I take the new 85mm out for a spin!

"Out for delivery"

2006-10-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

30D, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My new camera will be here this morning!!! Stay tuned!

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

2006-10-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

30D, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It is hard to believe that it is just over a year that we returned from our trip to Italy. We took over 1,200 photos with a Canon S50 point and shoot. After meeting fellow American Timothy Scheck in Tuscany I was envous of his brand new DSLR, a Nikon D70 that he had. We found a common interest photography...we talked about a variety of subjects...I knew when I returned to the states I needed to kick it up a notch. So upon my return home a did my due diligence and quickly learned that it was a coin flip between Nikon and Canon. Once you buy into the brand and invest in glass you are pretty much married to the brand. Both manufacturers produce fantastic gear. I really liked the compact size and all the features packed into the small body of the XT...the fall rebates also pushed me towards Canon.

I can not say I regret my decision one bit. After mastering the controls of the XT, and then holding other Canon camera I knew as fantastic as the Rebel XT's are, I needed the solid build quality, and fantastic controls of either a 30D or 5D...I would love a full frame 5D, but budget wise...the wife would kill me if I spent so much on a camera...especially with a new edition on the way.

With a heavy heart I took a few shots of my XT and associated gear and embarked on a journey to find a new home, and good owner for my baby. I think I accomplised that. I sold my XT this evening. I am sure the new owenr will take as good care of my XT as I did. I hope mynew owner has the same satisfaction as did I when they return home from a day of shooting and see the results from this mighty little camera.

So, on Sunday morning I will be ordering a replacement 30D...hopefully I will have my new camera within a week. I doubt I will change the name of my blog...I would like to keep the 350XT in the name as a tribute to the camera that basically kicked my photography skill level up a notch. 350XT you may be gone but will never be forgotten.

Reflections of a beautiful red head

2006-10-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Reflections of a beautiful red head, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

There is nothing more beautiful than the east coast during the fall! My wife and I decided to kill two birds with one stone...visit her family and enable me to capture some east coast fall shots. Unfotunatley our October schedules only allowed us to travel this past weekend...it was still a week or two away from prime fall colors...but fantastic regardless.

I took a solo ride out to to the Bear Mountain Bridge at the suggestion of my brother-in-law. I scouted the area late Sunday but did not capture the bridge...I did venture back the next morning with my pregnant wife in tow...she is quite the trooper! I captured some excellent shots but have not gotten around to processing them.

Saturday afternoon I met a very nice gentlemen named Lee. He is the proprietor of The Koi Farm in beautiful Washingtonville. He saw me snapping some pictures of pumpkins and a gorgeous gazebo on his property and started talking photography. He is a Nikon D70 user, and Lee, if you are reading...I did not get a chance to make it to the bridge with the train tracks...next trip!

Not only did I get some great landscapes, but I also captured a very nice shot of my wifes friends daughter checking in on her new baby sister...perhaps one of my favorite kids shots so far:

Thats it for now...I hope to update the blog with more photos in the next day or two!

Calypso Tumblers

2006-09-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Air, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Yesterday the wife ane I brought our guests from NYC to another friends house down at Venice Beach. While the wife and frineds decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather by lounging on the sand...I decided to go on a photo expedition on the Venice boardwalk...always plenty of interesting subject to capture.

I happened on a group of sidewalk performers called The Calypso Tumblers...three words...OH MY GOSH!!!!! These guys are a team of acrobats with a sense of humor like nothing I have seen on the Venice boardwalk in all my years in So Cal. I happened to catch several fabulous shots of these guys performing unbeleivable stunts...I will have more incredible shot in both my flickr and Zooomr photo stream soon!

Rush Hour

2006-09-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Rush Hour, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Boy oh boy...I hate traffic!!! Last night I had to visit a client after hours to take care of something one of my engineers could not. I got in my car at 6PM and headed twenty miles away...bumper to bumper for half the ride...good thing my camera was on the passenger seat to keep me busy :)

Weekend in the desert...

2006-09-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Rex, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Because I had a meeting with a client in Cabazon last Thursday I decided to spend the weekend in Palm Desert. My wife met me there Friday afternoon and we did absolutley nothing! I did take a ride out to Joshua Tree on Friday...only problem it was mid day and the sun killed what should have been a fantastic photo opportunity. I promised I would wake up early either Saturday or Sunday and make the trek to catch early morning light of the beautiful national park...unfortunatley a small stomach virus prevented that from happening. I will definitley be capturing Joshua Tree at dusk and dawn in the near future...what a fantastic place! The only shot I got over the weekend was of the T-Rex at the Wheel Inn restaurant...I shot at an interesting angle in order to make it seem as thought the T-Rex is breathing smoke : )

We Shall Never Forget!

2006-09-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

We Shall Never Forget!, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

"This memorial is dedicated to the over 3,000 people from more than 80 countries who were killed September 11, 2001 when terrorists hijacked four US planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. The commitment of those merciless acts have forever changed America and the world. The death of each person ripples in the lives of so many others and we are poignantly reminded that freedom is not withoutcost. These horrific acts have served to strengthen our spirit and our resolve ot fight and overcome destructive forces. We honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day."

Portal to the beach

2006-09-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Portal to the beach, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Captured this shot last night just after taking some very cloudy sunset pictures at Santa Monica State Beach. Not they type of weather I had hoped for, but I still managed to take a few decent shots including this one. This is the tunnel that runs from east/west underneath Pacific Coast Highway that is truly a portal for pedestrians. This portal delivers you from the city to the sand.

I decided to Zooomr's new feature, "Portals" a spin with this photo. Checkout this photos page at Zooomr and see where this portal took me, and what I saw.

Speaking of Zooomr, I wanted to thank Thomas Hawk for featuring the lifeguard tower shot I took last Tuesday on the Zooomr blog yesterday, 9/8/2006.

Lifeguard Tower Hosted on Zooomr

If you have not checked out Zooomr yet...do yourself a favor and do so...it is a fantastic photo community. I am hoping that they will add groups like those on flickr...I will be one of the first to create and administer a few if they do.

Pier at last light...with added workflow tips!

2006-09-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Pier at last light, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well, I managed to finish going through the remainder of RAW files, and post process some ot the images from my Tuesday at dusk excursion at the Santa Monica Pier. I have been asked serveral times about my workflow when it comes to post processing...so here it is...

Weed out the garbage & backup your files!!!
My typical workflow begins by reviewing all the images in Adobe Bridge. Once I weed out the ones I am not going to keep, I make a copy of all the images on a CD for backup, and then move the RAW files from the compact flash card to a dedicated external hard drive that contains only RAW files.

White balance and curves and saving to JPEG
Once the double backup is complete (you can never be too safe!!!) I then use Adobe Camera RAW to miostly just correct white balance. When I am finished I create a folder in "My Pictures" with the year, the day, the month and some sort of title...for example, all of my Pier pictures once converted to JPEG were copied to a folder titled, "2006-09-05 - Santa Monica Pier Sunset.

Remove noise, convert to LAB Color and sharpen
Once I have saved all the JPEG's I then remove noise if needed using Picturecodes Noise Ninja CS2 plug-in. After i have removed the noise I run two different filters to enhance the photo...I usually, not always, run a filter that converts the color from RGB to LAB which gives some of my photos richer colors. After that process I have a sharpening filter I use to bring even more life to the image.

When I have finished I upload to flickr and then the real fun begins!

The end of a good day.

2006-09-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

The end of a good day., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Ahhhhhh!!!! I managed to get out at around 5:30 today after a long days work...I spent a good 2 and a half hours shooting down by the beach...I shot many great sunset shots...I look forward to post processing and sharing....stay tuned!!!

Huntington Beach Sunset

2006-09-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Huntington Beach Sunset, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I finally was able to spend some time taking pictures Sunday. I actually headed to Santa Monica Skate Park on Saturday to shoot some of the skaters...unfortunatley I did not bring a helmet and they did not have one I could borrow. Perhpas next week I will blog some skaters catching air. Anyway, yesterday the wife and I went to visit friends in Huntington Beach. We had a greay day just lounging in the sand...not a cloud in the sky...perfectly relaxing. After the beach we showered up caught an amazing sunset and had a very nice dinner. Sunsets in Southern California are truly spectacular...it is too bad not everyone here gets to enjoy them every single day.

Victory Beer

2006-09-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Victory Beer, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Man do I love poker!!! Won $200 playing in a home game last night...decided to ditch work today...office was closed anyway...bought into a tourney for $50. I won the whole thing and now I am taking my wife for a steak...she is pregnant, so no bottle of cab, perhap a glass for me...

I would say that I am buying some "L" glass, or a Macbook, or a Dual Core 2 laptop....but in all honesty...the money is going to the wife for our baby fund.

:)

"We'll be right back"

2006-08-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Repair Invoice, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

*Sigh*

This week while in Irvine for business I happened to pass by the Canon Factory Service Center and decided to drop off my XT and EF 28-135 IS for a little "SPA" treatment. I figured I might as well have the sensor cleaned by Canon, although I have done it in the past, as well have the lens calibrated considering i had some minor focuse issues.

I must say, it has been tough to be without my camera. I am chomping at the bit to go out and take pictures...especially since Lowepro sent me a replacement for my Sling Shot 100. I called up last week and told them my strap was tearing...the CSR took my information politely told me that I would either have to wait to get another Slingshot 100 b/c they were backordered, or choose another bag from their lineup that is in stock. I explained how I was close to outgrowing the Slingshot 100 and probably should have gotten the Sling Shot 200...I offered to pay the difference for the more expensive 200...the CSR said it would not be necessary, it was in inventory and he would send one out immediatley. This much I can tell you...I am a Lowepro customer for life! Excellent customer service and they truly stand behin their products!!!!!!

Early Morning Surf

2006-08-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

Surfer, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Since I am on the mend form a bad back and have not had a chance to shoot I spent a little time going through some pictures from over the last nine months and decided to upload a shot from the past. This shot was taken early one morning near the Santa Monica Pier last December. I have a whole slew of surf and beach shots in my flickr photostream. Enjoy!

LOMO Zen

2006-08-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

LOMO Zen, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I had hoped to update the blog more frequently, especially because i have a whole new look. Unfrotunatley my back has gone out on me again and prevented me from shooting much over the last few days. Sure I have shots waiting to be post processed, but I have not gotten around to those because it is hard for me to sit for very long...oh well. Here is a shot from last week in my office. I applied a LOMO filter in CS2 to give it the LOMO effect. It is not overexposed even though it was a long shutter release...I had incences burning in me office...enjoy!

A new look...

2006-08-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

New Blog Header, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I have been meaning to change my blog header for some time now. Yesterday was a lazy day for the wife and I, and I managed to get some time in front of the computer to catch up on some stuff. Post processing of old photos, I created thank you's for some generous friends and I got around to updating my banner. Everything I have learned in Photoshop has been self taught, so the old banner was one of my first creations using CS2 and you can tell I was really winging it:

I decided put Zooomr in the title with flickr because I have begun using Zooomr also...and they gave me a free pro account.

I have not yet really caught on to the Zooomr community, but I am anxious to do so soon. I like the geotagging feature, but have not yet been able to find groups...I guess I just need some more time behind the keyboard examining Zooomr which I intend to do as time permits...anyway, I hope you like the new banner!

Neon Tiki God at Sunset

2006-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Neon Tiki God at Sunset, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last evening was the perfect evening for a Luau on the beach! Some very good friends invited us over to their house for a fantastic pre-party before the actual party, a Luau, at their beach club.

Let me start by saying both parties were a blast!!! The Mai Tai's at the beach party were fantastic and the fun just kept better and better as the night progressed!

I did not bring the Rebel along, however we had my wifes Canon SD450 and managed to capture some very interesting moments. One of my favorite shots of the night was the Neon Tiki God I took at Sunset pictured above, as well as a shot of "The Funky Hippies" perfoming on stage.

Deep in thought...

2006-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Deep in thought..., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It has been almost a week since I last posted. I really did not shoot much during the week, but I shot well over 400 shot over the weekend.

Saturday was spent shooting a friend and his family Saturday morning and I am very poeased with the overall results.

Saturday Night was spent raising money for my charity The Giving Spirit. We managed to raise over $1,500 through a raffle at a golf tournament called the MBA Masters!

Sunday was spent with my family barbecuing and I took the bulk of my images yesterday. After post processing I am sure I will have more to share in addition to this stauette I captured in perfect natural light.

The power of post processing...

2006-07-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

rings before, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last Saturday I deicded to beat the heat by taking a five mile stroll along the boardwalk. As it has been for the past several weeks, it was HOT! Temperatures on the shore were in the 90's!!!

WIth the heat comes the flocks of people to the beach (including myself) to beat the record temperatures all over L.A. While walking by the pier I checked out one of my favorite photo spots...the rings. I normally shoot the rings sans anybody using them...however I figured what the heck. When I got home I thought what a great shot but it is a little too busy, the colors are drab and the horizon is crooked.

So I spent about half an hour color correcting, cloning and straigtehing...I love the results:

Tattoo

2006-07-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Tattoo, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

On my lunch break this afternoon I mosied on over the Veterans Administration for the weekly farmers market. Up until three weeks ago the Thursday farmers market had been held in Westwood, where traffic is a nightmare, parking is limited and cost $$$$. They moved the farmers market to the VA, where traffic is minimal, parking is abundant and FREE! I discovered the new farmers market last week and I will be returning every week on my lunch break. Of course I had my camera in tow...last week I purchased some peaches from a really nice guy who has incredible ink all over his body. I took a few shots and applied a little Photoshop selective color technique for what I consider a winning shot.

Searching for...

2006-07-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Contemplation selective color, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Bobby Fischer???

Sunday was as hot as I thought it was going to be. The wife and I spent some time picking up produce at the local Farmers Market. In the afternoon she spent time with a friend while I hit the pool at the Fairmont and then took a leisurly walk around the pier and bike path. I happened to go by Chesspark and noticed a young boy playing chess with an older gentleman. Made for a great selective color shot....

Sunday Morning Farmers Market

2006-07-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Cherries, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It is hot in Southern California! Temperatures in the San Fernando Valley reached a scorching 114 degrees yesterday. Thankfully the wife and I live in Brentwood which is closer to the Pacific and usually much cooler. Yesterday temperatures hit just over 90 where we live.

Today is going to be another scorcher! At the local Farmers Market, by 9AM temperatures were already in the eighties. Nothing like fresh Summer fruit to help keep cool!

PCH at Sunset

2006-07-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

PCH at Sunset, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

The wife and I enjoyed a little excursion down the road at the Santa Monica pier for a little Twilight Concert Series. We ended up eating and leaving before Dick Dale performed...it was just too gorgeous, and we knew we would be able to catch some twilight shots...here's one...there should be many more in my flickr photostream in the next few days. Keep an eye out for them, you won't want to miss them!

Full Moon Fever

2006-07-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whisky a Go Go, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Tonight there was a full moon so around 8PM I left the wife and took a drive hunting for the full round of cheese in the sky. I was hoping to find the moon somewhere near the beach for a pier/ferris wheel moonshot....however I was told that the moon was most likely visible, lw in the San Fernando Valley. When I got to the valley the moon was not in the sky...so, I took Coldwater to Sunset, and low and behold I saw the moon south of Sunset. I happened to find a broken meter and parked my car right outside the Bel Age Hotel...YAY ME! Parking is a bitch around Sunset. I walked up to the front desk and explained there was full moon tonight and i had previously been a guest of a hotel guest and had shot downtown from the rooftop pool...I asked if they could do mea favor and give me a key to the rooftop pool...they did and I took a bunch of pictures which I am editing and uploading to my flickr photostream...check em out and enjoy!

The start of something new?

2006-07-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love flickr! I have been using it for a year and a half and it has changed the way I share my photos! About three month ago I started blogging because flickr made it so simple. Well, recently I have been intrigued by Zoomr a new photo sharing community similar to flickr. I figure I need to give it a shot and see which service I prefer...the photo in this blog entry is my first photo uploaded to my Zoomr account. I shall report back after getting some time in front of the keyboard with Zoomr on the LCD.

Back from NY

2006-07-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

Summer butterfly, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Just got back from a wonderful trip with the wife to New York. We spent the majority of the time with her folks in Poughkeepsie...we did wind up in NJ, about 20 minutes from Atlantic City and what do you know...the state closes all the casinos!!!! Damn!!! My poker itch was terrible...regardless the trip was a blast...took over 700 photos...I hope to get around to post processing them sometime after work this week...here is one of a butterfly for now. This shot was taken with my 28-135 in my inlaws backyard.

Happy Independence Day!!!

2006-06-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

old glory, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Happpy Fourth of July! I know I had previously posted this shot, but I could not help myself. I will be travelling to NYC later this afternoon and gone for the next week. Hopefully I will capture some fireworks shots with the Statue of Liberty in the background...that is the plan...Mother Nature is another story. We here there are going to be thundershowers. Regardless, have a happy and safe fourth everyone!!!

Getty Center

2006-06-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

Getty Center, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My wife and I met up with some friends late Saturday afternoon at the Getty Center just above Brentwood. The plan was to have an early dinner/picnic...it was a total success. There were eleven of us all together and everyone brought something to eat and a few of us managed to sneak in bottles of wine. I chickened out when the security guard saw my tripod and said they were not allowed. Like an idiot I asked what else was prohibited...of course he said no wine...so, the schmuck that I am removed the well hidden bottle and returned it to the car with the tripod. Everybody had a good laugh at my expense when they said how lax the security guard was in his search for contraband. Regardless, we had fun laying on the grass, eating listening to some music and sharing stories and jokes. I can't wait to do it again when the weather cooperates here on the westside. More pictures in my flickr album...

Neighbor

2006-06-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Neighbor, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It has been a while since I lasted posted...I have not really gotten around to taking many photos lately. Last night I did go to a fantastic wine tasting and took many great photos...a few of them were uploaded to my flickr album. The picture of this cat was the first shot I took last evening...it is the neighbors cat staring in at my friends two dogs...that is one brave cat...a true antagonist!

Eyes that will melt your heart...

2006-06-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Eyes that will melt your heart..., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

The wife and I packed up the car on Saturday morning and drove an hour to newport Beach to spend the day with my best friend and his family. My best friend currenlty resides in Phoenix and took the week off to spend on the beach in Newport. I was able to capture some great shots...but this has to be my all time favorite...a shot of his daughter set to the background of the green and blue deck and water...

Shack in the woods

2006-06-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Shack in the woods, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Another shot taken last weekend in Park City Utah. This shot was taken at the top of the ski lift in the town of PC just off of main street. I used my EF 28-135 to zoom in a bit from where my wife and I were standing. Oh how we miss PC already!

Park City Utah!!!!

2006-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

Spectacle in white, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My wife and I spent the Memorial Day weekend in Park City Utah attending the wedding of some close friends. I had never been to Park City, or anywhere in Utah for that matter except the Salt Lake City airport to catch a connecting business flight. Park City is one helluva place. Main Street in Park City is actually where the Sundance Film Festival takes place and it is filled with charming shops, fantastic restaurants and very nice hotels. Memorial Day falls in the off season for Park City so hotel accomodations are very reasonable and most restaurants offer 2 for 1 entrees...very good food and an incredilbe deal. Lastly and most importantly, the photo opportunities are amazing!!! Even though we did not have the best weather we were still able to capture some awesome shots. It actually snowed on Sunday May 28th. I can't wait until the next time we return to Utah!

Burger window...

2006-05-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

Counter, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I took a nice, long two hour walk through Brentwood after work this evening. I ventured to the Brentwood Country Mart and came across two men standing at the window of a favorite hamburger stand....I snapped this picture using my trusty EF 28-135 IS lens...when I got to my computer I decided to remove the color from the image to create a nice black and white photo witha "60's era" feel...

I hope you enjoy this shot!

Brentwood Night

2006-05-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Brentwood Night, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last night upon returning from a fantastic BBQ at a good friends house we noticed gorgeous clouds in the night sky. I immediatley setup my tripod and took a 20 second exposure with my Tokina 12-24 mounted to my camera. I really like the results and look forward to long, night exposures this summer!

Me, Myself & I

2006-05-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Me, Myself & I, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I have been playing around with Photoshop CS2 and blending multiple shots...this is my first attempt and it came out pretty good! I am looking forward to doing a few of these in an outdoor scenario when time permits...hopefully I can get my wife to participate!!!!

Last week I bought a Whibal, white balance card...that little card is well worth the $30 it costs!!!! Spot on white balance in RAW post processing and so easy to use! I also started playing with a LAB color action I found online as well as a sharpening action...both offer phenomenol results!!!

Until next time...

Simple beauty...

2006-05-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

Madison discovers the alphabet puzzle..., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I spent Mothers Day with my whole family at my folks house. My wife and I joined my parents , siblings and their kids for a late brunch on a beautiful day! I managed to capture several hundred RAW shots which I intend to review, delete, edit and post sometime this week. Hopefully I will have some more to share, but for the time being this one of my two (almost three) year old niece just caught my eye!

Venice Pizza

2006-05-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Venice Pizza, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

This shot was taken last September on our trek through Italy. My wife planned the perfect trip through Italy! We were in Venice walking back to our hotel from dinner when I snapped this couple outside a pizza shop. I snapped this shot using my trusty Canon S50 point and shoot...how that camera served me so well...ah Italy!!!!

Pacific Design Center

2006-05-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Q7 Event Second Floor, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Today a good friend invited me to an Audi sponsored event at the Pacific Design Center in West Los Angeles to test the new Q7. It is a fantastic vehicle!! We also got a chance to drive an A8L and were passengers with a professional driver in an RS4...WOW! It was a really nice afternoon and the photo opportunities inside the Pacific Design Center were excellent...although I did discover my Tokina 12-24 produces distorted images at the 12-14 range...notice the headlights in the S8 shot.

Homage to the Lake Show

2006-04-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Homage to the Lake Show, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Wow! I am spent! Today I spent the earlier part of the afternoon watching my favortie team the Los Angeles Lakers take a commanding three game to one lead over the heavely favored Phoenix Suns. After a lot of hooting and hollaring...and a last second overtime win...I went out and about in Brentwood and capture this shot...I used the LOMO script I recently wrote about...I really like the results...I hope you do to!

Gone.

2006-04-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Gone, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I took this photo last November, early one chilly morning. This picture did not catch my eye until I used a LOMO action in Photoshop. Once I added this effect, it truly made this photo POP!

Play ball!

2006-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Baseballs, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last weekend on Saturday afternoon before the shopping excursion with my lovely wife which netted a few good pictures, we decided to watch my six year old nephew play baseball. It was fun watching, and the photo opportunities were phenmonemol...I got some really great pictures of my nephew. But the one picture that I really like, was that of a bucket of baseballs...I was walking by and snapped a closeup using my 50MM lens...I enhanced it a bit using a LOMO script courtesy of conceptDawg that I found on the flickr technique group.

My Digital Darkroom

2006-04-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Where I flickr, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Here is a shot into my world...this is where I work...it is my home office during the day. By night, this is my digital darkroom where I edit my photos...I love my home office!

Saturday Shopping Excursion...

2006-04-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Flowers, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Wife and I went shopping at a local Target today...she needed some odds and ends, and I needed nothing...other than the weather to improve so I can get out and actually use my new tripod. Regardless, after walking around the store for fifteen minutes while she shopped I was able to get a few good shots with my trusty ole 50MM...can you guess what the objects are in the pictures?

Spring Time...

2006-04-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

flowers, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Spring time is here...the weather had gotten much better, I have a new tripod...and I look forward to getting out and capturing some awesome shots...specifically some fantastic night shots of Los Angeles, hopefully some full moon shots!

Amvona/Dynatran CF 92 Legs/ATH-95 Ballhead

2006-04-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

IMG_0464, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well, today I finally recieved my legs and ballhead from Amvona...boy did I make the right choice!!! The tripod and ballhead are very well built and UBER light!!! Perfect for travel and hiking...aside from setting it up in my home office, I have not had a chance to take it out and use it! It seems extremely sturdy and comes with a nice carrying case...As soon as I play around with it some more I will post further comments, but until then you can check out several QUICK photos I took in my flickr camera gear album!

Selective Color

2006-04-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Cat Eyes, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Since I have not been able to shoot as much as I would like lately because of the weather...I have been playing around with some Photoshop CS2 and an action I created to make selective color a bit easier. I love using selctive color to make a good B&W photo really POP!

Afternoon bump...

2006-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Afternoon bump, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It's been a while since I have posted...I have not really been out shooting for a few reasons...primarily the weather has been awful.

During my morning coffee moments before work I have been reading about tripods. I need one...I plan on taking some panorama night shots of Downtown L.A. this summer, and my beautiful wife and I will be traveling to Park City Utah, next month and I want to capture some panos there as well.

I have finally purchased a tripod and ballhead. After months of research I have finally stepped up to the plate and it is now on it's way!

I was looking very closely at the Bogen 3021 Pro...but decided I needed something lightweight because I intend to carry this thing with me around the city 90% of the time. I discovered a great hotel on Sunset Blvd. with roof top access for some night shots...small and light, yet sturdy and dependable is the way to go for me. Especially if I ever start hiking/mountain biking the Santa Monica mountains again!

I started to look at carbon fiber legs, but I almost fainted when I saw the price...the Bogen 055 Magna Fiber series starts in the mid $300 price range and that is without a head. Gitzo is even more expencive...someone told me about Feisol legs...I bid on four eBay auctions and lost all of them...even using auctionsniper!!! The Feisols usually go for around $150 to $175 (legs only), used on eBay.

After reading many forums and many, many reviews...I decided to take a gamble on Dynatran Carbon Fiber CF92 legs which weigh 3.75 lbs and the Dynatran ATH-95 Ballhead which comes in at 1 lbs....the most amazing thing...I won both of these items in two seperate auctions...all for $145 shipped. I will do a full review once I recieve the setup...but I researched to no end...and 99% of the reviews were very positive...apparently Dynatran does a great knockoff of high end Bogen and Gitzo equipment...I will report back with my 2 cents sometime late next week!

CF 92 Carbon Fiber Legs

Old Glory

2006-03-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

old glory, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

It finally stopped raining in Los Angeles...I decided to fire up the BBQ this evening so I needed to walk to the store to pick up some stuff for the grill. The wind was kicking a bit and I managed to capture this shot of Stars & Stripes. I like the way it turned out!

Meditation

2006-03-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

meditation, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

I must say I am flattered...I noticed that another member of flickr has added my meditation image to their blog of their favorite photos. Steiner 62 has added this shot to his blog of best shots!!!

This shot was taken on January 6th...perhaps this was one of the best sunsets I have ever seen in Los Angeles. The sunset was so spectacular that the L.A. Times featured a picture the next morning on the cover...I happen to prefer my picture!

City at night...

2006-03-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

City at night 4, originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Spent the weekend saying farewell to some dear friends who are leaving L.A. and returning to Florida...we will miss you Donanne, Brian, Charlize and Holland! We got a chance to hang with them both Saturday and Sunday night at their hotel, The Bel Age, right off of Sunset Blvd. I managed to escape to the rooftop pool for some nice, long exposure, night landscapes. I had to improvise the tripod considering I do not own one as of yet.

Enjoy!

Sad but true.

2006-03-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

A sad image of the city I live..., originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Last December I snapped this picture while distributing bags for my favorite non-profit The Giving Spirit. About midway through the day I came across this German immigrant who refused a survival kit that we tried to give him. It still stays with me to this very day that I can live in a very wealthy city, and there are thousands of people just like this man that roam the streets without shelter...a true shame.

I posted this shot because there was a contest on the The DPReview website. This shot place third...it is worth checking out some of the other shots from this contest...the subject Sad but true.

I love RAW!

2006-03-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

IMG_4411as shot_1
Originally uploaded by noeltykay.

Well, when I got my Digital Rebel back at the end of October several friends told me I would love the power of RAW. I have always shot and edited in JPEG format because although my last camera shot RAW it seemed daunting to me.

When I first got the Digital Rebel, RAW seemed ever more so daunting considering I now needed to learn the different functions of a DSLR in different settings. Having used the camera for four months now, and feeling very comfortable, I began to use RAW a week and a half ago...I am not going back to JPEG!

The first photo is an example of RAW with custom white balance. I had read several articles about setting the white balance on my camera using an opaque lid from a can of Pringles...I soon discovered that Pringles lids are now clear and not opaque. Well, I happened to have an opaque plastic lid from a large vitamin container and it now resides in my camera bag, so that I can set custom white balance when I am in doors.

The two shots above are the same RAW image file. The first image is "as shot", straight from the camera as seen in in Photoshop CS2/Adobe Camera RAW. The second shot is the same file, the only difference is in CS2/Adobe Camera RAW is changed the white balance from "as shot" processing I did was switch the white balance from "as is" to "custom". That is it! I did not tweak it any other way shape or form. I am now a believer in RAW and it is time to purchase some larger memory cards because those RAW files are much larger than JPEG! Good thing memory prices are falling...I have seen a gooe quality 2GB card going for less than $90!

Checkout the "Girls"

2006-03-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

What's up girls???
Originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My Sunday morning ritual is to wake up bright and early...give my wife a kiss, out the door to grab a cup of coffee and on my way to basketball.

Yesterday I woke up a little earlier than usual and decided to try and shoot some planes taking off at LAX, for it was a very clear morning. Unfortunatley I had trouble capturing planes overhead...so it was off to the Westchester High "Girls" gym to go play basketball...on the way in I saw the birds sitting on top of the building and vioila!!! Caught my eye and I share this with you!

And so it begins...

2006-03-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by noeltykay.

My first post in my new blog which highlights my passion for photography. My interest in photgraphy dates waaaaaay back to my days in high school in the very early eighties. No I was not a mullet wearing, Camaro driving Def Leperd listenin' stoner! Not that there is anything wrong with that! :)

In 1998 I purchased my first digital camera (and never looked back!), a Sony DSC-F1...pretty archaic back then. To think about the horrors of transferring thirty pictures from camera to computer to the internet...took about three hours! The Sony got me hooked to digi cams and since that time I have purchased three other digital cameras: Olympus C2020, Canon S50 and my Canon Digital Rebel 350XT.

The nice thing about migrating from the Canon S50 to the Canon 350XT was I did not have to invest in more Compact Flash cards and batteries...the Digital Rebel uses the same batteries and memory as my previous camera!! And now I have an extra battery charger too! Thats the good news...the bad news...ACCESSORIES! I have invested in three lenses, an external flash, a hand grip, a backpack, a wireless remote and countless hours behind my workstation editing photos...it is all worth it and I hope to show you right here!