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Tutorial: Replacing a Novatron Flash Tube

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

A standard Novatron P/N 2100C Flash Head

If you own a Novatron lighting system there is a good possibility that sooner or later you will need to replace a flash tube. Fortunately it’s not often they burn out (I have only had one burn out in several years), but it happens. I have also broken one being careless while trying to install a massive Photoflex Softbox.

The first time I had to replace one I looked for some kind of tutorial in the Internet to no avail. There were plenty of people who had accomplished the task, but no one who shared any knowledge of how it was completed.

This time I decided to make a tutorial of my own.

Novatron Flash Tube as Mailed

The first thing you need to do is find a replacement tube. There are at least two sellers on eBay who have them. I found the best deal from:

Genesis Lamp

Lights 64 also carries them albeit at a slightly higher cost:

Lights 64

Lights 64 is a top rated seller, so if you’re more comfortable with a seller with 20K+ sales then perhaps paying a buck or two more is not important. I went with Genesis Lamp and I received my tube very well packaged only a few days after placing my order.

the Necessary tools

The next thing you want to do is to assemble the necessary tools. You will need a small Phillips screwdriver, a pair of needle nosed pliers, some wire snips and a soldier iron and soldier.

Now to begin. With the Phillips screwdriver and the pliers remove the screws holding the reflector to the protective case. Once this is completed you will see that the reflector only comes out as far as the wires will allow it (see the top picture).

Nylon Collar in Place

Turn the unit over and find where the cable connects to the unit. There is a black nylon collar that keeps the cable locked in place. Use the needle nosed pliers to squeeze the lock in and pull the collar out. Remove the collar and slip the cable though the body allowing you to move the reflector from the case.

the Collar after Being Removed

Familiarize yourself with the wiring. There is a red shield and a black shield that connect to there corresponding areas on the circuit board. On the opposite side is a brown wire that will connect to the outer wire on the flash tube.

the Flash Head Opened

Use the wire cutters to cut both the red and black wires at the edge of the ceramic insulator tubes which protrude from the rear of the reflector. Make sure you gently pull the red and black shields away exposing the wire before cutting. You will need to reuse these shields. Remove them and put them aside.

Red and Black wires Oppose the Brown Wire

For the brown wire you will want to cut it on the tube side of the shield. Pull it through to the back and remove any excess soldier. Strip the end of the wire and twist the wire so the end is smooth.

If you haven’t already plugged in your soldier iron do so now. Once it has heated up use it to heat the soldier points where the wires you removed the red and black shields from are connected. Gently pull them though trying to leave the holes in the circuit board open.

Connecting the Brown Wire to the Exposed Tube Wire

Tin the end of the brown wire. Tinning is accomplished by heating the exposed wire and melting a tiny bit of soldier on it. Slide the brown wire back through the ceramic tube. Twist the end around the exposed outer wire on the tube. Do this as close to the tube as you dare. You will not want this contact to touch either the modeling bulb or the reflector at any time. Cut the excess wire from the tube.

Push the other two contacts through the other two ceramic insulator tubes. Turn the unit over and replace the red and black shields. Bend the wire so you can push them through the corresponding holes on the circuit board. Pull them into place and make sure the tube is positioned correctly. Once you have done this soldier both connections.

Soldiering the Red and Black Connections

Cut the excess wire. Look over your work and make sure everything looks exactly how it looked before you began. Pull the cable through the case and realign the reflector. Reinstall the screws. Slide the black nylon collar up the cable and install it on the cable in the exact place it was at before. Squeeze the lock down and slide it into place.

the Finished Product

Insert the model light and make sure nothing is touch where it shouldn’t be touch. Plug in the unit and test it. Everything should be in working order.

Viola. You’re finished!

Posted in Photography, Studio, Tips, Tutorial | 3 Comments »

Crop Factor Defined

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

A typical Canon x0D's Crop

In my last post relating to cameras, I explained Depth of Field in a manner understandable to the new photographer. I included a sidebar that mentioned something called the Crop Factor. I admit the term had me somewhat confused when I first started looking into the purchase of a DSLR six years ago.

The original SLR cameras were 35mm film cameras and used a piece of film 36mm wide and 24mm high. SLR is an acronym for Single-Lens Reflex. What this means is that when you look through the viewfinder you are looking through the same lens the negative will be exposed to. The way this works is that there is a mirror inside and when you press the shutter release that mirror pops out of the way, the shutter opens and the film is exposed.

A Nikon D80's Crop

The DSLR is essentially a digital version of a 35mm SLR camera. Both use interchangeable lenses and both work in an almost identical manner. The main difference being that with a DSLR there is an optical sensor where on the SLR there is that aforementioned frame of 35mm film.

The size of that optical sensor varies in a DSLR. With a full frame DSLR the size of the sensor is the same as a piece of 35mm film. But with the DSLR sold for consumer use, the sensors are smaller. Hence, with the sensor being smaller, it crops off a portion of what a 35mm film camera would see through the same lens.

This is where the term crop factor comes from.

In the images below picture shown is the full frame representation of a 35mm SLR or a full framed DSRL such as a Canon 1DS or a Nikon D3. The green line represents a 1.3 crop factor of a Canon 1D Mark III. The yellow line represents the1.5 crop of the average Nikon, such as a D80 or a D200. The orange line represents a 1.6 crop factor of a Canon 40D or 50D

So, why aren’t all DSRLs made Full Frame? Evidently, the machine that’s used to make the digital sensors must make more than one pass to create a larger chip. In order to make cameras more affordable, a sensor that is made with a single pass is the necessary sacrifice.

Many people actually prefer the crop factor. I’m not one of them. While some people claim that a camera with a smaller sensor has better depth of field I don’t agree. After all, it’s a matter of preference whether a deeper depth of field is better than a shallow one. For certain situations it may be, such as in landscapes, but with portraits it isn’t.

Vertical Crops

I also believe that by cropping off the outer edge of a lens you are changing its natural behavior. With an erratic wide angle lens that shows aberrations this probably isn’t a bad thing, but what if you want to experience a fish eye lens for the full 180 degree angle it may be capable of. Not any more. On today’s average consumer model DSLR you’re lucky if you’ll see 120 degrees.

On the other hand, if you are going out to shoot birds with the local Audubon Chapter that extra little reach a cropped DSLR can offer may be just what the doctor ordered.

In the end it’s all preference, but it is nice to know what alternatives are available.

Tags: crop, digital, dslr, factor
Posted in Cameras, Lenses, Personal, Photography, Tips, Tutorial | 6 Comments »

Back Story – Spenser Novel #30

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Back Story by Robert B. Parker

Audiobook Review
Back Story – A Spenser Novel
By Robert B. Parker
Read by Joe Mantegna
Unabridged Fiction

If you read my review of Robert B. Parker’s book, Resolution, you may recall my mentioning his popular detective series, featuring the man known as Spenser. And yes, it’s just Spenser. As far as I know it’s never specified if it’s his first or last name, but he is often referred to as Mr. Spenser by an assortmnet of clients and by the police, so perhaps therein lies a clue!

If you’re not familiar with Spenser I suggest you get acquainted. He’s smart, witty and surrounds himself with a cadre of some of the most interesting characters you’ll ever meet. He’s also loyal, charming and a take no bullshit kind of a guy.

WARNING: If you’re offended by gratuitous violence or by crooks meeting their violent ends, Spenser may not be for you. You can count on Spenser and his partners killing at least a few criminals in every book.

My first introduction to Spenser was pretty much by chance. With the exception of maybe Michael Connolly I don’t usually read too many detective-type novels. But a few years ago when I was spending two hours a day commuting I started checking out audiobooks at the library and I happened upon one from the Spenser series.

Turns out I liked it.

I’m not sure which one it was. But the book I picked up just happened to be read by Joe Mantegna. Joe was made to perform the Spenser series. He has all the aptitude to read not only as Spenser, but also as the rest of the cast who make these novels so compelling. His voices are distinctive and he breathes life into them as if they are personal friends.

Along the way I have discovered that earlier Spenser books were read by the likes of Burt Reynolds and William Windom. Neither of those readers compare to Joe. But if you stay tuned to my blog I may get around to listening to some of those books as well.

On the other hand, I feel it is important that I mention that these books are great reads on their own. I have read at least as many as I have listened to. They’re easy reads and don’t require much thinking. And there are rarely any surprises. If your sitting there wondering just how many of these books there can possibly be, it’s around 35, with at least two more expected releases for 2009.

Robert B. Parker

I know. You’re probably also wondering how Mr. Parker can continue to write stories that stand on their own and maintain any consistent level of appeal year after year. Amazingly enough, without letting us or Spenser down, Parker does exactly that coming up with plots that are just as intriguing as any of those that came before. But as I stated, suprises are rare. These books are formulamatic. With Spenser you know what you’re getting and it’s always entertaining.

I don’t know how long Parker can continue to do it. But that isn’t because I expect him to run out of ideas. It’s just that according to library records he was born in 1932. So, I wonder if we can expect him to write for more than twenty more years. Which means there is likely only going to be about 30 or 40 more Spenser books.

Okay. Now that we have that established.

Note: I had no idea that the television series from back in the 1980s, Spenser for Hire, starring Robert Ulrich, was based on the Spenser series. At the time that series was on I wasn’t watching much TV, so I have no idea how Ulrich’s portrayal of Spenser went.

More recently I have been tracking down some of the earliest Spenser books and I have learned quite a few things about him I hadn’t previously known. The early books feature things that I am glad Parker phased out, but for the most part those books are just as great as any of the newer ones and to be honest, much more revealing.

Many of the early books are less than two hundred pages–the kind of books you can put away at one or two sittings. I suggest reading a few of those just to get in touch with Spenser and then move onto the later years. Of course if you’re a commuter or you have tons of time to listen while you keep yourself busy with other things, then find any of the books that Joe reads and start listening.

The book I am going to discuss here is called, Back Story. Back Story is the 30th book in the series and was released back in 2002 (this audio version in 2003).

You know you’re in for a good story when Spenser takes on a 28 year old murder case all for a half box of Krispy Kreme Donuts. Yes, as you will learn Spenser often works for very little money. But as far as I know this is the only time he has worked for donuts. Being a former cop though, it only figures he would have a taste for donuts.

Half a Dozen'll do!

The case here involves a 1970’s bank robbery gone wrong. One of those radical revolutionary groups, like the ones who kidnapped Patty Hearst, are responsible and Spenser’s client’s 34 year old daughter has finally decided she wants answers. Of course the answers she gets may or may not be the answers she was hoping for.

I should mention that the client is a close friend of Paul Giamcomin, a character introduced years before in one of the more revealing Spenser novels, Early Autumn. Paul beomes a sort of foster son of Spenser, in that earlier book and I recommend reading that book before listening to this one in order to establish some of the history between them.

Obviously, a woman that waits 28 years to start seeking answers must have some of her own issues and conveniently enough, Spenser’s longtime girlfriend, the noted psychologist Susan Silverman, is there to help him analyze.

When things get rough and the local gang of thugs show up to hinder Spenser’s investigation he calls in Hawk for backup. Hawk is sort of like calling in a one man wrecking crew. The only other man on this planet that may be able to give Hawk a run for his money when it comes to fighting and killing is Spenser.

This is where Joe Mantegna is at his best. His portrayal of Hawk and of Hawk’s interaction with Spenser is on par with an award winning one man trunk show that might run on Broadway. He’s got so many voices that are so spot on it’s no wonder that this series has so many fans.

In case I haven’t made it entirely clear, these books are often humorous. This one is no exception. Possibly the most amusing part of this book involves the recent loss of Spenser’s dog. The manner in which Spenser and Susan contend with this situation is a perfect example of their unique personalities. And it will certainly make you laugh.

The laughter is what brings me back to the Spenser series. It’s good intelligent fun. I think we can all use more humor in our lives, especially in this day and age. Lippity Lop.

Tags: audio, audiobook, boston, detective, massachusets, novel, red sox, spenser
Posted in Audiobooks, Books, Personal, Random Thoughts, Tips | 6 Comments »

Working with Depth of Field

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Greater DOF (Note sharpness throughout) Devil's Postpile near Yosemite

Depth of Field (or D.O.F.) is one of the terms used in photography that can be somewhat confusing, especially to the new user. Depth of Field refers to the area in a photographic image that is acceptably sharp. Remember, the closer something is to the focal point, the sharper it will appear.

A greater Depth of Field will appear sharp and in focus throughout the image from items in the foreground to items in the distant background. This is desirable in most landscape photographs.

A shallow Depth of Field will have the main subject sharp and in focus with everything else somewhat blurry. This is desirable for portraits and in situations where you may wish to reduce distractions.

Generally speaking, the larger your aperture the more shallow your depth of field will be. In other words if your lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, shooting at that f/stop will make your depth of field its most shallow. In contrast, the smaller your aperture, say for example, f/22, the greater your Depth of Field will be.

Note: most current DSLR cameras have what is referred to as a crop factor. In essence, the DSLR is permanently zoomed in and sees only about 60 to 65% what the lens is capable of seeing.

Without getting too deep into this here, what this is doing is cropping off the outer edge of what the lens sees. This can be useful in many situations. But to the true affectionado this plays havoc to a lens’s true behavior. More on this in the future.

There are other factors to take into consideration. With a wide angle lens, creating that sometimes desirable blurry background is often difficult to achieve. Conversely, with a telephoto lens you may be able to blur the background even at a relatively small aperture, such as f/8.

Shallow DOF (Note blurry Background) Lucky Rich World's Most Tattooed Man

A good way to experiment with Depth of Field is to work from extremes. If you’re shooting a portrait of someone in a room full of people start with your lens wide open (whatever the smallest f/stop on your lens is; f/2.8, f/4, etc.) and stop it down from there. Conversely, if you’re shooting a landscape start with f/22 and work your way down. Compare the images on your computer later.

With just a little bit of practice these techniques can make you images much more effective, interesting and appealing.

Most lenses have a small scale near the focusing ring that is there to help you estimate what your DOF should be at a given aperture. There is usually also a button below the lens mount that will stop down the lens showing you how the finished image should look. In my experience these don’t provide much help. Getting to know your equipment through experience is the best manner in learning what results you can expect in any given situation.

Comments have been disabled on this post due to excessive SPAM.

Posted in Cameras, Lenses, Photography, Tips, Tutorial | 11 Comments »

Microsoft Cashback—Scam or Glitch?

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Cashback Offer a Scam?

A few months back Microsoft started a program to lure Internet users into using their new search engine, live.com. They promised that if you searched for and made purchases using their site, they would offer you up to a 25% cash rebate within the next 60 days.

I went for it and bought a brand new shiny lens. The supposed rebate would amount to $162.95. My rebate was supposed to become available on January 18th. The 19th came and went. I contacted them and they claimed there was some kind of glitch preventing the payment from going through. Last week they promised the rebate would finally be deposited into my Paypal account on or before the 9th of February.

To be fair their tech support has kept up sporadic contact with me, but one promise after another for resolution has not been met. At one point they blamed the problem on Paypal. I have spoken with Paypal support as well to no avail. Right now I am still floating in limbo.

I have searched the net a few times and it would appear that I am not in this alone. It would seem that some people have received their rebates, while many others have not. What I am suggesting to others who may find this an enticing offer, you may wish to reconsider. I will let you know if and when anything changes.

Tags: action, back, cash, class, fraud, Internet, money scam, questions, ripoff
Posted in Frustrations, Personal, Tips | 7 Comments »

The Monster of Florence—audiobook

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

The Monster of Florence

The Monster of Florence—
By Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
Read by Dennis Boutsikaris
Unabridged Audio Book

The Monster of Florence is Italy’s equivalent to the Zodiac Killer, though arguably, the Monster was even more lethal with a confirmed fourteen victims. Italy’s most treacherous serial killer had a penchant for haunting lover’s lanes around Florence, during the 1970s and 1980s and striking couples while in the act of making love in parked cars.

According to FBI behavioral profiling the killer was most likely an impotent man who had all kinds of hang ups and harbored a deep resentment towards women. Having read Robert Gray’s book on the Zodiac I found the parallels between these two murderers astonishing and had to wonder how the two were running amok at the same time on different sides of the globes, without any comparisons ever begin made.

One gets the feeling that while the Monster had an added advantage, in the fact that the Italian Police were obviously bumbling fools (crime scenes were rarely secured and often visited by dozens of reporters and other curious and morbid citizens before any investigation began) that, just as the Zodiac was assumed to be a some kind of insane genius, the monster probably was too.

This was my first encounter with Douglas Preston’s writing and I was not disappointed. His command of the English language and his ability with tension and pacing captured my attention from the first chapter and held it throughout. There is no surprise that he’s a best selling fiction writer, which was the reason he had originally moved to Italy to begin with. Evidently, he was going there to start work on a new novel that was to be set in or around Florence.

Note the Throngs of onlookers contaminating the crime scene

While beginning research for that novel, he met with the noted journalist Mario Spezi. Mr Spezi beguiled Preston with a tale so grim, Preston soon found himself obsessed with the story. He shelved the idea of a novel and, working with Spezi, started first on an article and later on the resulting book.

Along the way the two were both accused of being involved in the case and Spezi is later arrested. The manner in which the Italian Police handled this investigation was revolting enough up to that point, but after Spezi’s arrest I was truly flabbergasted. What would seem obvious to any one with a grain of intellect was obviously beyond them.

What is truly even more alarming is that, even after being charged for falsifying facts in order to maintain the investigation, some of these police were allowed to keep their jobs and even more incredibly, these are same police that are at least partially responsible for the investigation and charges currently levied against the American student Amanda Knox.

I can only describe these supposed Italian officials as kooks and imbeciles. One is reminded of those ridiculous ethnic jokes that were rampant in the 1970s. One has to wonder if the intelligent Italians choose the mafia while the idiots join the polizia.

One of the main reasons this audiobook works so well, is the fantastic performance of Dennis Boutsikaris. With the exception of his imitations of an English accent, his voice acting is near flawless.

I really enjoyed this reading and highly recommend it to anyone interested in true crime.

Tags: audio, books on cd, italy, murder, non fiction, real crime, serial killers, true crime
Posted in Audiobooks, Books, Personal, Tips | 1 Comment »

Lens Guide for Beginners

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

50mm f/1.4 Lens

If you’ve already read my Buying a Digital Camera article you know my thoughts on lenses. The lens is the single most important part of a camera.

Cicero said, ‘Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi’, which translated means, ‘the face is a picture of the mind, as the eyes are its interpreter’. Boil this down to its essence and you get, ‘the eyes are the windows of the soul’.

Philosophical or physical, looking in or peering out, it’s all relative.

The three key elements are eyes, window and soul. In its best sense, the photographer provides the soul, the camera its eye and the lens its window. Your eye may function perfectly, but if the window it’s looking through is dirty or distorted you’re view is going to be adversely effected and your soul is going to be inaccurately rendered.

So this article addresses those windows, which more likely, are known as lenses.

Terms discussed in this article are:
• Wide Angle
• Standard
• Telephoto
• Focal Length
• Prime Lens
• Zoom Lens
• Sharper
• Softer
• OOF
• f/stop
• Aperture
• Wide Open
• Stop Down
• Faster

Generally speaking, there are three types of camera lenses. The wide angle, the standard and the telephoto. Each have a special purpose. The wide angle lens is useful when you are in a small room or if you want to be up close and personal with your subject. The standard lens is more less an all purpose lens and the telephoto is useful when you have more distance between you and your subject.

This is not to say each of the lenses can’t be useful in other situations. An example of this would be with the telephoto lens. A telephoto lens is often useful for portraits, because of its ability to blur the background. But in the interest of keeping this simple, we’ll leave those details for further exploration later.

Your question now may be, ‘How do I distinguish a wide angle lens from a standard or a telephoto lens?” As far as physical properties go, usually a wide angle lens will be shorter and stubbier, whereas a telephoto will likely be much long and the standard will fall somewhere between the two.

A much easier way to learn to understand focal lengths. The focal length is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the surface of the film or, in the case of a digital camera, its sensor. A wide angle lens will have a smaller number, usually 35mm or less. A standard lens is somewhere around 50mm and a telephoto 85mm or above.

Canon AE-1

You may ask, “What about my lens, it’s 28—135mm?” A lens with multiple focal lengths is referred to as a zoom. As you zoom in or out the focal length changes by moving the optical center of the lens closer or farther from the film or sensor.

A lens with a fixed focal length is called a Prime Lens. Many purest photographers insist that Prime Lenses are better and I would agree. The argument is that the lens was manufactured to do one thing best and this is usually the case. A zoom lens (especially an inexpensive model) will usually have a sweet spot either at its shortest or longest focal length.

There are sometime distortions or aberrations found at different focal lengths in inexpensive zoom lenses and this is why the purest will use prime lenses when available. As an example, I use a 17-40mm f/4 lens and the lens is clearly sharper at 17mm than at any other focal length. Is this a reason to use only Prime Lenses? No. There are many instances where using a Zoom Lens is essential.

I have been asked numerous times what Sharper means, in photographic terms. Two terms used in describing a lens are sharpness and softness. When a lens is extra clear when focused it is referred to as sharp. To be tack sharp is to be perfectly focused. On the other hand a lens called soft usually is not perfectly clear when focused—this is not to say it is out of focus. Often times certain situations will call for soft lens, such as in weddings or other portraits where a dreamy effect is desired.

Soft can also be a polite, yet derogatory term for a picture that is out of focus. And speaking of Out of Focus, OOF is an acronym you may come across that means exactly that.

Aperture of 50mm lens at f/4

The next term we need to address is f/stop. There are many debates as to what the f in f/stop means. Some suggest it is an abbreviation for fenestra, which means opening in Latin. Others for something as simple as fraction. Maybe it’s even easier to think of as Focal Length.

The reason I say this is that the Focal Length divided by the number that follows f/ is how wide in diameter the Aperture is going to be. In case you don’t know what an Aperture is it is the opening in the lens that the camera sees through. For example a 50mm f/2 lens when Wide Open will have an Aperture 25 millimeters in diameter.

Now you may be wondering what Wide Open means. Wide Open is when the Aperture is as open as it will get for the particular lens. The opposite is Stopped Down. Think of it as the retina in your eye. When you enter a dark room the retina in your eye gets larger akin to being Wide Open. When you step out into bright sunlight it gets smaller akin to Stopping Down.

Aperture of 50mm lens at f/2.8

Hopefully, all of this makes sense. This next part may be more difficult to understand. f/stop numbers increase as the aperture stops down. Whereas a 50mm f/2 lens is Wide Open at f/2, as the f/stop number increases the Aperture closes. The basic f/stops for this 50mm f/2 lens are f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22.

Over in the corner I can hear someone say, “I’ve got a 50mm lens, but it says f/1.4. What does that mean?” That means that your lens has an extra stop on the f/2 I have been using as an example. That means that your lens is Faster than mine.

Faster is another photographic term that describes a lens’s attributes. Generally speaking the Faster a lens is the better and nine times out of ten the more expensive. A Faster lens has a larger aperture. A larger aperture allows in more light. Remember your eye? In a darker room your retina gets bigger allowing more light in.

That means with the f/1.4’s larger aperture has a bigger retina. And with a bigger retina you have the ability to see in a darker environment. What difference does this make? On an average sunny day, none. In a low light situation, such as a concert, it can make all the difference in the world.

Hopefully this has been a helpful tutorial on lenses.

A few things to keep in mine when considering the purchase of a new lens. Whether you know it or not right now, a lower f/stop number is preferable. Faster is always better. And even though this equates to a more expensive lens, it is a good idea to remember that lenses hold their value long after your DSLR is selling for half of what you paid for it.

Next time I will discuss the effect a crop factor can have on your lenses.

Tags: beginner, defined, digital, lens, novice, Photography, student, terms
Posted in Cameras, Lenses, Photography, Tips, Tutorial | 10 Comments »

Resolution—audiobook

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Resolution by Robert B. Parker

Audiobook Review
Resolution by Robert B. Parker
Read by Titus Welliver
Unabridged Fiction

Generally speaking, I like mystery and suspense. But when it comes to popular fiction I usually draw the line. It just doesn’t work for me. One exception to this genre is Spenser. Spenser has big character and loads of wit and that is why Robert Parker’s number one gumshoe works so well for me.

What can I say; I am a big fan of the Spenser series—both on paper and audio. I’ve also read and listened to a couple of his Sunny Randall books and they’re okay, but Sunny is clearly not in Spenser’s league. If not for my love of Spenser, I probably wouldn’t have read the Randall books.

On the other hand Robert Parker has begun writing a western series. I rarely read westerns. I do like some historical fiction from that era, but when it comes to western stories I’m more inclined to reach for something nonfiction, such as the recent Blood and Thunder book by Hampton Sides, which explores the life of Kit Carson and the great southwest, or the Billy the Kid biography, the Endless Ride, by Michael Wallis.

Actually, I listened to both of those audiobooks recently and will probably add reviews sometime in the future. Between those and the aforementioned Buffalo Bill book I’ve gotten myself going on this western kick.

That’s when I happened upon Robert Parker’s recent release, Resolution. I looked at it a moment and thought, what the heck. Let’s give it a go.

I hadn’t listened to or read Parker’s previous western, Appaloosa. Thus being the case, this was my first introduction to his characters Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. Comparisons are inevitable, but these two are not Spenser and Hawk.

For one, Hitch tells the story from his point of view, and although he is a very respectable gunfighter in his own right, he seems to play second fiddle to Virgil Cole. By writing the book in this manner, Virgil retains his mysteriousness.

Then again, maybe it’s only Hitch’s modest manner. Though his thoughts and comments reflect Virgil being the best he has ever seen, one gets the feeling that, in reality, Hitch is probably at least as much of a badass as Virgil. Perhaps more of this relationship is revealed in the prior book.

As I was just researching details about Parker’s westerns I discovered that Resolution is the second book in a three part series. The third book is due out later in 2009. In this lies the key. Did I like this story enough to want to read the prior book and will I want to read the one that follows?

With Resolution I was expecting (or hoping for) a more epic plot. There wasn’t one. It deals with a situation that probably took place often in the old west. A greedy saloon owner wants to take over the entire town and in doing so becomes the enemy. The local sodbusters want to prevent this, but lack the experience to do so effectively. There are plot twists, but you can see where it is going.

Of course now that I know this is a three part series I am wondering how a seemingly simple story line could fit into something larger. Or perhaps, since Appaloosa was already made into a movie, he is working toward supplying fodder for a movie series. After all, this is popular fiction and seems to be tailor made for the movies.

I enjoyed listening to Resolution, but I was not bewitched. Titus Welliver—who played Silas on the HBO Deadwood series—does a fine job of reading. He has a great voice for reading this genre and he portrays the characters well. In fact, I may even listen to Appaloosa in the future because of this—if I ever find the time.

Posted in Audiobooks, Books, Tips | No Comments »

Closed Saturdays

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Ditched, Stalled & Stranded by Lange

Saturday, we went down to Sac State to see the Dorothea Lange photo exhibit, which is running through March. Unfortunately, Sac State didn’t update their site to reflect the fact that their library, in which the gallery is located, is closed on Saturdays until after January 25th. So instead of hearing me rave about her wonderful images you get to hear me complain about not seeing them.

So, besides punching a two hour hole through the middle of our day, it was $6.00 to park in their lot. Needless to say, I was upset, disappointed, filled with an overwhelming rancor and dreams of vengeance! I’m completely insulted that a school would advertise two shows (the other is a ceramic exhibit) as being open daily Monday through Saturday, 10:00 to 5:00, but forget to mention that it’s closed Saturdays.

Ever had one of those days? The foundation the plans are built upon crumbles and the rest of the day falls apart around it. Things no longer look as bright. Nothing tastes as good. Everything feels just a little less satisfying than it should. I know. I’ve been told I take things a little too personally. I can admit it—I tend to internalize my experiences!

Bikers Cruising J - photo: ajpn

We went downtown trying to find something else to do without much success. Besides seeing all the cheerleaders out in front of the Memorial Auditorium for the Spirit Cheer event and seeing all of the bikers across the street swarming toward the Sacramento Convention Center for the Easy Riders Bike Show, the effort brought little reward.

Later in the day I visited the library and checked out all of the books on Dorothea Lange they had. It was of little consolation for seeing the real thing, but it should make it only that much more rewarding when I do get to finally see the show sometime in the near future.

What else are you going to do?

If you are thinking of seeing the Dorothea Lange exhibit that both Sac State and the Sacramento News and Review sites advertise as open daily Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 5:00 Please call first. The number is (916)278-4189.

I have contacted both sites so maybe they will fix it before others attempt to visit the exhibits next Saturday.

When I do get to visit the show I will post my thoughts here.

Posted in Agenda, Personal, Photography, Tips | 2 Comments »

Do pictures make you fat?

Friday, January 16th, 2009

Rita models for Old Navy

Most likely, you’ve heard it all before—usually from the lips of some Hollywood Tart, “I have to stay thin; everyone knows the camera adds ten pounds”. But is it really true? And does this apply only to movie cameras or does it apply to still photography, as well?

I don’t know about ten pounds, but in certain instances I’m sure it can create the illusion of adding a few extra pounds and in other cases, of subtracting them. Using my understanding, I will try to explain why I believe this is true and offer supporting evidence as to why.

Every camera has a lens. There are three basic types of camera lenses, Wide Angle, Standard and Telephoto. Each of these lenses has what is called, a focal length, which is measured in millimeters. A wide angle lens has the lowest number, usually less than 35mm, whereas a telephoto is above 85mm, with the standard covering the range between. (Note: depending on the format these numbers can vary)

Each of these lens types has specific behaviors. And as the quality of the build varies, these behaviors can be somewhat erratic. Depending on the intended use of the lens, and on whom is using it, this can be either a blessing or a detraction.

A lens with a single number, for example, 50mm, has what is referred to as a fixed focal length and is often referred to as a Prime Lens. Whereas, a lens with a number such as 28mm—300mm is referred to as variable focal length and called a Zoom Lens.

Generally speaking, a Prime Lens is more stable and therefore more predictable, whereas a Zoom Lens is going to vary throughout the range of its focal length. Therefore, a Zoom can be even more erratic and unpredictable at certain focal lengths than at others.

Concaved surface with a broken ornament

Without getting too much further into the technical jargon of photography I’m going try to use a simplified example.

We all know what a convex mirror is, right? Those funny looking hemispherical-shaped mirrors they use in stores for security purposes, right?

They’re specialty mirrors that are used to create super wide angled points of view and are similar—albeit much more distorted—to wide angled lenses. Still, a wide angle lens, especially a cheaper version of such a lens, is going to exhibit some of those behaviors.

The thing is that while in the center of that lens you might look fat, on the edge of it you might look skinny. In fact, wherever you are in that lens it could have all manner of distortions to the way you look.

The technical term for this is aberration, which according to Merriam-Webster means, the failure of a mirror, refracting surface, or lens to produce exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image.

On the other hand a concave mirror would reverse that effect in a manner of speaking. Similar to what a telephoto lens might do. If you look inside of a broken Christmas ornament, as in the above picture, you can see the result.

In all cases, what this amounts to is distortion of the actual image. If you look at the three images of Rita, which in reality are the same image, processed with Photoshop in two of them you can see an overly dramatized representation of what I am discussing here.

Lens Distortion

1.) Simulates how a cheap wide angle lens might distort. Referred to as barrel distortion, which is similar to what you might see standing very close to a convex mirror. Note how she looks fatter!

2.) Unaffected image.

3.) Simulates how a cheap telephoto lens might behave, which is what you might see looking into a mirrored bowl (or a broken Christmas ornament as pictured above). Referred to as pincushion distortion. Note how she looks thinner!

So, whether the camera truly adds ten pounds may still be up for debate. But as the above information has demonstrated, it is possible that a lens can distort an image and that distortion may be interpreted as adding or subtracting weight to an individual.

And then discarding all of this, you can judge for yourself in your own pictures. Personally, speaking I do think I look more substantial in pictures. But then, that may just be me.

Posted in Cameras, Lenses, Photography, Tips | 2 Comments »

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